From words to works!

25 Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” 27 The expert answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.” 28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side. 32 So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. 34 He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ʻTake care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.ʼ 36 Which of these three do you think became a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 The expert in religious law said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” So Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Food for thought!

“You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

These words introduce us into our meditation for today. They also prepare us to begin our workweek. Yesterday, many people were at some church, and one of the things we do in churches is the Profession of Faith. The whole Mass, in general, and the Creed, in particular, is about talking, praising, singing and praying.

Most of us have learned what we say at Mass so much that we don't apply much effort to say what we say. It comes quite naturally to answer the prayers, just like the man in today's Gospel Reading. He said quite naturally: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.”

And then Jesus told him, and tells us, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

Sunday is about saying, like the man in the gospel. Monday, is about doing. We have to move from Sunday to Monday, from words to works, from acts of faith to faith of acts. Jesus tells us as he told that man, do and you will live. Like the Samaritan in the gospel, we have to put our faith into action. The others in the story, the priest and Levite, didn't do anything to the man. A priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side. So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ʻTake care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.ʼ

A heretic he may be, but the love of God is in his heart. Sometimes the orthodox are interested in defending dogmas and theologies than in helping the needy; yes, sometimes those we despise as unfaithful are the true Samaritans of today. In the end we will be judged not by the creed we held and professed but by the needy we helped; not by our answers but by our practice. It is not enough to know, it is important to do; good words do not substitute for good works.

“You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” (From words to works).