Daily Gospel Reflection for October 3, 2016

Today's Gospel: Luke 10, 25-37

The text from the Gospel today is, without a doubt, a profound biblical passage for reflection. Its verses present the essential principles of religion.

Far from entering into a discussion, Jesus leads his interlocutor to the heart of Moses' Law: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, love your neighbor as yourself.”

Then, in the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus reveals the universality of God´s love. For the Jews, the neighbor is just the Israelite; but from the news of the Christian love, the neighbor is anyone, without distinction.

Christ makes clear that all desire to inherit eternal life passes through love. The parable elucidates a total and integral love, that covers the four dimensions of the human being: all your soul, the intelligence and will (all your mind), the instincts (all your strength) and the feelings (all your heart). The absence of love in one of these dimensions or an unbalanced love takes away its plenitude, empties it so it doesn´t lead to the Lord.

See that both the priest and the Levite, although considered doctors of the soul and of the intelligence, lacked the other dimensions of love.

Now the Samaritan, he did love God wholly and completely through his neighbor. See that his soul, attentive to the dignity of the wounded man, moved with compassion (his heart). Hear his intelligence (his mind) and see that through the mastery of his will (his mind) he chose to do good, putting his strength at the service of the man in need, rescuing him.

The path to eternal life goes through the neighbor, being marked by complete and total love for God. Let us live this love and experience a little piece of heaven!

Ponder:

For Jesus, the right question isn't "who is my neighbor", but "to whom I make myself a neighbor?" How do I live a full love for my neighbor in my daily life? Do I make my family a school of love in all dimensions?

Pray:

Saint Francis of Assisi, show me how to live stripped of all selfishness. Teach me through your example to grow in the hope of eternal life. Help me to discern in practice my actions for a total and integral love of God and neighbor. Amen.

Copyright 2016 Sidônio Lopes Filho - translated from the Portuegese by Flavia Ghelardi

Sidônio Lopes Filho is military, and has been married to his wife Claudia Regina Frasson Lopes, a dentist, for 22 years. They are a consecrated couple to the community of Schoenstatt Family Federation. They are the leaders of this community in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Their apostolate in mainly in the formation of the families. For more information about the community in Brazil, visit the website.