Pastor's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (07/15/2007)

Dear People of Holy Name,

It was not a good day for the man who fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Not good on two counts. First he was a victim beaten and left half dead. Second, the man who helped him wasn’t his friend; strange irony of events that he would have to depend on “one of those” for his life.

Jesus used this story to challenge the religious prejudice between Jews and Samaritans. For the Lord, no religious law or ritual practice could come before another human being’s claim on our compassion and help in their dire need.

Today, religion is used to justify all kinds of hatreds and prejudices. This is especially true among the fundamentalist of any ideology. For them there is only one way to live, they don’t need to change and anathema sits to those who suggest they do. We can easily observe how some Muslim men treat women in their tradition, and it is easy for us to say how unjust and cruel, and it is, but how do we speak to this culture in a way that will bring their men to respect the individual dignity of every woman and not be terrorized for it in return?

I believe there is a common denominator among people and that is our shared humanity. Jesus appeals to this common humanity in the gospel, when he brings the Jews to recognize the goodness of the Samaritan in his compassion and charity.

When Jesus shared the story about the Samaritan he didn’t do it to have the Jews critique another group of people, but themselves. He got them to see how their own religious traditions needed to change to allow for God’s compassion for all peoples to come first.

Today’s gospel is a call to question our own most sacred traditions and ask if there are customs and patterns of viewing things that are simply wrong. As a Church, we should feel challenged by this gospel. As a parish we should feel challenged and as individuals and families as well. If Jesus was updating today’s story, who would he have at the side of the road? Who would be the Good Samaritan? Who would be the audience? Who would be the prophet who tells the story?

Honest reflection will find us in all the roles and our challenge will be revealed, but I believe we can move forward in hope, because I believe in the basic goodness of humanity’s shared sense of compassion and charity that is in us all, even if locked behind doors of pain and prejudice. I think we must pray and call forth from all peoples, a recognition that we are all created in God’s image, regardless of race or creed, and all are worthy of human compassion and love, especially those most in need.

Others may not head such a call, but we must lead by our example and inspire those who hate us to someday choose love over hate, and charity and compassion over greed. Let us pray with today’s gospel this week and let it call us forth to a greater level of compassion for all peoples. Let us also pray that the God who created us all in his image may make the world a place of peace and harmony. I believe he can if we pray and allow his Spirit in live and work in us.

May the Lord continue to bless you in his goodness!

In Christ Peace, Fr. Leo