Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 14, 2019
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“”Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?””
Jesus said to him, “”What is written in the law?
How do you read it?””
He said in reply,
“”You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.””
He replied to him, “”You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.””
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“”And who is my neighbor?””
Jesus replied,
“”A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?””
He answered, “”The one who treated him with mercy.””
Jesus said to him, “”Go and do likewise.””
Living in a religious community, I will, inevitably, find that a brother really rubs me the wrong way. One in particular I find to be particularly irksome—tiringly talkative, needy, and immature. Many times, I just want to yell “Relax, brother, it isn’t all about you; why can’t you just be as chill as the other brothers!”
Let us look at two characters in this Gospel, who, I feel, have been greatly overlooked and hastily dismissed: the priest and the Levite. Both had a significant role in Jewish life; maybe they were on their way to offer sacrifices in Jerusalem, a crucial element of Jewish worship. Perhaps they did not touch the bloodied man because that would have made them impure and unable to offer the sacrifices on behalf of the faithful. Would we so easily condemn a small-town priest driving to celebrate the monthly Mass which the faithful so eagerly awaited? We are not God. We cannot read the internal movements of their hearts and souls. Maybe, they too were struck with compassion, but were forced to choose between care for those they had a consecrated duty towards and compassion towards a stranger.
Maybe, there is more to this brother of mine than I realize. Have I taken the time to know him, truly? Maybe he has a hard time containing his excitement for being a brother. Maybe the habits which annoy me are his genuine expressions of fraternal love. Unless I see him with compassion, I cannot truly know the real him nor love him as my brother. Could not the “least of our brothers” also be those we easily condemn, those we easily dismiss? Could not the priest and the Levite also be the man half-dead needing our own movement to compassion? Ultimately, are not the priest and the Levite our neighbors too?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you showed your overwhelming mercy in the parable of the good Samaritan. May we also be granted this same generosity of spirit so that we can extend your grace to our brothers and sisters in need. We ask this in your most holy name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Kateri Tekakwitha was a Native American who was known as the “Lily of the Mohawks" for her purity and devotion.
She was born in 1656 in what is now New York; her indigenous name is Tekakwitha. Her father was a Mohawk warrior, and her mother was an Algonquin who was captured and brought into the Mohawk tribe.
When she was four years old, both of her parents and her brother died of smallpox. Tekakwitha survived the disease, which left scars on her face and damaged her eyesight; she was adopted by her extended family. As she grew up, she would avoid social gatherings because of her scars, and sometimes wore a shawl or veil over her face.
When she was 17, Tekakwitha’s family encouraged her to marry, but she refused. Soon after that, she met a Jesuit missionary and began learning about the Catholic faith. When she was 19, she was baptized and took the name “Catherine,” or “Kateri,” after Catherine of Siena.
Because of her faith and her unusual reluctance to conform to traditional practices to marry, Kateri was shunned by her family and village. They ridiculed her, gave her difficult workloads, and threatened her. She left her home village to live in a Jesuit mission for Native Americans on the St. Lawrence River south of Montreal.
She continued to grow in the faith there, practicing rigorous mortifications. In 1679, Kateri formally dedicated her virginity to God, and encouraged a number of other women who felt the same calling.
When she was 24, her health faltered, in part due to her zealous fasting and harsh bodily disciplines. Kateri died during Holy Week in 1680. She is reported to have appeared to several of her friends and family after her death, telling them that she was “on her way to heaven,” and a number of cures were reported by people who appealed to her for help in prayer.
St. Kateri was canonized in 2012 following a miracle in Washington State when a boy was cured of a flesh-eating bacterium through her intercession. The chapel in Welsh Family Hall is named after St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and the image and statue shown above are displayed there.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks—pray for us!