FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Compassion reveals true Faith: Go and do likewise!

The liturgy of the word for this 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time presents us with God's closeness to humanity and the recognition of each believer in His presence in the different circumstances and situations of people's lives. Therefore, the challenges that the Word of God presents to us are in line with the recognition of a God who, in the creation of His People, is close, is in His Word, "is in your mouth and in your heart" and in the fullness of time "Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God" who is in the midst of His People. However, the closeness and presence of God, through the teachings of Jesus, His Son, is also in those who cry out for compassion and in those who allow themselves to be pitied by someone who is suffering. Thus, the Parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus tells takes center stage in the teaching of the proclaimed Word to enlighten those who seek God's ways or those who feel so obedient that they need something shocking to bring them back to reality. The first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy presents us with the moment when Moses tells the People of their obligation to listen to the voice of the Lord and to fulfill His precepts and commandments, so that conversion to the Lord God may happen "with all your heart and with all your soul." Therefore, Moses warns the People that the imposed Law is not beyond the strength of each one, nor beyond their reach. It is achievable and possible to put into practice in each person's life, because "it is close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can put it into practice." It is this law, with its precepts and commandments, that was proposed as the path to eternal life. In the character of the Gospel text, the lawyer, Jesus will be questioned by the evangelist Saint Luke to test his wisdom and doctrine. Thus, the evangelist Saint Luke presents us with one of the most beautiful pages of Jesus Christ's teaching, with the Parable of the Good Samaritan, to make the lawyer understand that loving God and our neighbor is not an idea or a commandment that remains in the air, but is the form and attitude that arises from the compassion of the heart and is realized in the realization of helping those in need. After all, Jesus' answer to the lawyer's question, "and who is my neighbor?" is intended to encourage us to do the same: "then go and do likewise." Thus, the credibility of Jesus' doctrine and teachings touches the hearts of those who humbly accept being taught, as they provoke inner reflection and an evaluation of what is known by heart and what is put into practice. The parable itself is the answer to the question "Who is my neighbor?" and highlights the origin or religious standing of the characters in this story: The man who fell among the robbers could be of any origin, social status, or religious standing; those who pass by the road where this man is are: a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. The first two are knowledgeable about God's law and practice religious worship, but they also have a concept of neighbor that is very restrictive to family members and little else. Therefore, they prioritize their role in the temple over the needs of those in need, since if they were to help them, they would become impure, according to the precepts of worship, and therefore could not serve in the temple. The Samaritans were considered unimportant, unclean, and lacked the same faith, but it is a Samaritan who, in the parable, takes on the responsibility of helping and treating someone who fell into the hands of robbers, because he was filled with compassion. The key to understanding this parable that Jesus tells is precisely compassion, the ability to feel compassion for someone in suffering. Thus, we understand the conclusion drawn from Jesus' question to the lawyer: "Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" As the late Pope Francis said: "If you feel no compassion toward someone in need, if your heart is not moved, it means something is wrong. Let us not allow ourselves to be led astray by selfish insensitivity. The capacity for compassion has become the touchstone of Christians, indeed of Jesus' teaching. Jesus himself is the compassion of God the Father for us."

May we seek to care for our hearts, so that they may be sensitive and compassionate toward those who suffer and cry out for help, so that our faith may be truly lived and strengthened in the action that springs from sincere compassion toward what Jesus asks of us: “Then go and do likewise!”