Today’s Gospel parable is one we’ve heard many times before, the story of the Good Samaritan. In the story, both a Jewish priest and a Levite (another Jewish religious official) pass the injured man by on the opposite side of the road, whereas the Samaritan helps him and sees to his needs. From a cultural standpoint, both the priest and the Levite perhaps had good reasons in their own minds for what they did…perhaps, for example, they needed to remain ritually pure. The Samaritan also would have had good reason to ignore the injured man, since Jews and Samaritans didn’t exactly get along well. The Samaritan was just passing through, yet he not only stopped to help the injured man, but he went into an inn (where he no doubt was not welcome) and arranged for the man’s continued care. Jesus makes it clear to the scholar in the story, and to us today, who truly loved his neighbor. Moses told the Israelites that following the Lord and doing right isn’t “rocket science.” “No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” But the priest and the Levite didn’t; they were too wrapped up in their own issues to see the needs of another. How often do we do the same? Our world is a big place; our neighbor is no longer the person who lives next door or down the street. We can’t solve all the world’s problems. However, that doesn’t mean we’re allowed to throw up our hands in defeat. We can all do something; at the very least, Jesus calls us to be compassionate to the plight of our neighbors, even those who don’t look like us or believe like us…even those who want to harm us. Reflection by parishioner, John Ceglarek