Today's Word
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
Luke 10:36
Today's Reflection
A lawyer stands up to test Jesus.
He wants to know who counts as his neighbour.
It is not an entirely dishonest question.
We all want to know the limits of our obligations.
How much is enough? Who qualifies?
Jesus does not answer the question directly.
He tells a story.
A man is beaten and left on the road.
A priest passes by.
A Levite passes by.
A Samaritan, a foreigner, someone no respectable Jew would have expected anything from, stops.
He bandages the wounds.
He puts the man on his own animal.
He pays for the inn.
He promises to return.
Then Jesus turns the question around.
Not: who is my neighbour?
But: which one acted as a neighbour?
The answer changes everything.
The question is not who deserves our help.
The question is whether we will stop.
Today's Prayer
Lord, I walk past people.
I have reasons.
I am busy. I am tired. It is not my responsibility.
Forgive me for the times I have been the priest and the Levite.
Today, give me the grace to stop,
even once,
for whoever is on my road.
Amen.
Today's Call
Today, look for one person who needs something you can give.
Not money necessarily.
Time. Attention. A word. A door held open.
Stop for them.