Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Go and do likewise.” It’s really that simple. The one who was neighbor to the man who fell victim to the robbers was the Samaritan man who treated him with mercy. To love your neighbor as yourself means to treat whoever you meet with mercy. Kindness, mercy, compassion – all things we would like to think we can both aim for and achieve – should not require much thought or effort. Still, the Church places this Gospel before us with some regularity for good reason.

Though it should be easy to “go and do likewise,” if we are honest, we’ll find that there are circumstances in which treating our neighbor with mercy is difficult. Is there a particular person I find it most difficult to treat with mercy? Are there circumstances when I find I am so preoccupied with other things that it is difficult to recognize the person in need right in front of me? Is there a certain class of person from whom I withhold mercy? Do I fall into the trap of thinking that only extraordinary circumstances (like a man lying beaten by robbers on the side of the road) calls me to be a Good Samaritan, or are there simpler and more common scenarios in which I can be an instrument of God’s mercy?

However we answer these questions, the Gospel today invites us to participate in the mercy of God, and not just participate, but to grow in our capacity to imitate our Lord’s perfect mercy and goodness, truly loving and serving our neighbor. Go and do likewise.

Peace,

Fr. Sam