💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 22 💖

First Reading - Ephesians 3:14-21

Gospel - Luke 12:49-53

Sometimes we can know the right answers about God and still fail to do what God asks of us. We may know the commandments, participate in the liturgy, and speak about our faith, yet overlook someone who needs our help. Today’s readings remind us that the Gospel is not simply a teaching to be understood; it is a way of life to be practised.

In the first reading, St Paul expresses his concern that the Galatians are turning away from the Gospel he proclaimed to them. He reminds them that there is no other Gospel apart from the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is not something we can change according to our convenience or adapt merely to please people. It calls us to conversion and challenges us to live according to the heart of God.

But what does it mean to remain faithful to the Gospel? Today’s Gospel gives us a concrete answer.

A scholar of the law asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus directs him to the commandments: love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself. The scholar then asks another question: “And who is my neighbour?”

Perhaps he wants to define the limits of his responsibility. Whom must I love? Who deserves my attention? Who belongs to my community? Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan.

A man is attacked by robbers and left half-dead on the road. A priest sees him and passes by. A Levite also sees him but continues on his way. Both are associated with religious life, yet neither stops to help. Then a Samaritan, someone who would ordinarily have been regarded with suspicion by many Jews, sees the wounded man and is moved with compassion. He approaches him, treats his wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care.

The contrast is striking. The priest and the Levite may have known the law, but the Samaritan puts love into action. He does not first ask who the wounded man is, where he comes from, or whether he belongs to his people. He sees a person in need, and that is enough to move him to act.

Notice that Jesus changes the scholar’s original question. The scholar asks, “Who is my neighbour?” But Jesus asks which of the three became a neighbour to the wounded man. The important question is not simply whom we are obliged to love, but whether we are willing to become neighbours to those who need us.

This is also the connection between the two readings. Paul insists that we remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ, and Jesus shows us what that fidelity looks like. We cannot claim to follow the Gospel while remaining indifferent to human suffering. True faith becomes visible through compassion, generosity, and practical care.

The wounded person on our road may be a family member who needs patience, a colleague who is struggling, a stranger who feels alone, or someone whose background and opinions differ from ours. Sometimes we pass by not because we lack the ability to help, but because we are too busy, too preoccupied, or too quick to judge.

Jesus concludes with a simple command: “Go and do likewise.” He does not ask us merely to admire the Samaritan or appreciate his goodness. He asks us to imitate him.

Today, let us examine our hearts. Do we see the people who are suffering around us? Are we willing to interrupt our plans to help someone in need? Does our faith lead us beyond words and religious practices into concrete acts of love?

May the Lord give us the grace to remain faithful to his Gospel, not only by what we profess with our lips, but also by what we do with our lives. And may we never be so busy serving God that we fail to recognize him in the neighbour who needs our compassion.