My Dear Friends,

On this 15th Sunday of ordinary time we celebrate the God who is close to us both in his word and in our neighbour. As the image of the unseen God, and as the Good Samaritan, Christ is close to us in all circumstances of life.

Our first reading is part of the farewell message, and final instruction of Moses to his people. This message underlines the importance of abiding with God through his word. That is, living according to his commandments in the scriptures. Through this reading Moses reminds us that God is alive and active, and ever close to us in his Words: “…For this law is not beyond your strength or beyond your reach….”

In the Gospel today, Jesus directs the young man to the scriptures. By doing this, Jesus tries to let him understand that God could be found in his Word, which is close to him. To love God therefore is to love his word. Jesus further supports this by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan in today’s Gospel. The word of God is Jesus himself, who speaks to us, and Jesus who is ever close to us like the Good Samaritan.

Today’s Gospel also presents to us another way through which God is close to us. That is, in our neighbour. Like the Good Samaritan, we can find God in the weak, poor and marginalized in our society. The Good Samaritan represents those who seek Christ in the weak, wounded and the poor. He also represents Christ who himself is a Good Samaritan par excellence. He is quick to come to our help when we are weak, despised, and abandoned.

The Challenge for us is to be Christ like to our neighbour – whoever they may be!