What is a Good Samaritan?

The Gospel reading today is Luke 10: 25-37. It is the story of the Good Samaritan, which happens to be one of my favorite biblical stories for a few reasons.

 

Everyone knows that part of the message of this parable is to be kind to others, and to treat your neighbor with love and compassion. I think it is important to remember to do this in every way possible. While sometimes you might have the chance to perform large deeds to help others, the majority of opportunities are going to be little acts of kindness, such as smiling at a stranger, sending flowers to a sick friend, or holding the door open for the person behind you. All of these things, and many others, may seem small at first, but when they pile up over time they start to have quite the impact. There is a quote that I like that really stresses how much difference little acts like this could make: "Every time you put something positive into the universe, the world changes. Your kindness invites miracles to show up; not just in your world, but in the whole world." -Unknown 

 

Jesus is also telling us that love and kindness do not discriminate. Samaritans, such as the traveler who helped the injured man, were looked down upon by Jewish priests and elders and were regarded as unclean foreigners. The Samaritan traveler could have easily walked past the injured man, thinking to himself that he shouldn’t help a stranger because of how poorly he had been treated by others. And yet, he stopped and took care of the man. This is what God is calling us to do; to love one another and to look past differences, because on the inside we are all children of God.

 

While I definitely think that my above interpretations are lessons of the parable, I believe it also goes a little bit deeper. If you recall, the first two people to walk by the injured man crossed to the other side of the road and ignored him, and they were both people with holy titles. The third person, a disliked Samaritan, was the one who stopped to help. I believe that through this interesting choice of characters, God is trying to teach us to stand up for what is right. Even when the people in charge may not be doing the right thing, we have to. He is calling us to question societal norms; to be people of integrity; to keep His message in mind when going about our daily lives. The world is full of selfish motives and unkind actions, yet He is challenging us to be loving and giving of ourselves.

 

I encourage everyone to think of little acts of kindness you can do this week. Maybe it’s calling a family member you haven’t talked to in a while, or maybe you can help out at a service event this weekend. Remember that even the smallest act can make a huge difference. How will you be a good Samaritan to others, and be a person of integrity and love?

 

God bless,

Kathe

Am I Ashamed?

Better late than never, right??

This past week, I started meeting a girl from work, and a friend of hers, for a bible study in the evening. We meet at a little independent coffee shop/cafe that sells all sorts of Filipino food. We're studying the book of Romans by my man, St. Paul. I've always had a particular sweet spot for St. Paul because he's my nominee for greatest and most dramatic turn-around story (courtesy of God).

In a lot of ways, I'm the odd man out--not that I feel that way. I'm the only student from UC (the other girls go to Purdue) and I'm also the only Catholic. However, in many ways I'm so thrilled that she asked me and our differences are so small in Christ.

We all talked a lot, answering the discussion questions and follow-up questions we each had. The girls have had wonderfully different experiences from me, and the discussions were as entertaining as they were enlightening. Due to the large volume of talking, we only made it through the first part of the first chapter. However, St. Paul still managed to hit me over the head with something.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Wow. If only I could say, without making myself a liar, that I wasn't ever ashamed of the gospel of Christ.  How often I've avoided living the gospel or sharing it, for fear--of what? Paul had the fear of persecution, unto death, and I'm afraid of offending someone or over-stepping the boundaries. My new prayer is to be fearlessly unashamed, just as God is fearlessly unashamed of me.

Fear Not!

As I was reading the responsorial psalm today I could not help but feel this overwhelming sense of comfort.  No matter what, we can always remember that God will take care of us.  As it is said “If I take the  wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”  Of all the daily adventures life takes us on, we must remember that God is right by our side guiding us and cheering us on. 

As I am writing this the song  “Do Not Be Afraid” comes to mind.  I think I live my life in fear way too much.  By fear, I mean fear of not being good enough, fear of not doing the right thing, fear of not having enough time.  All too many times, this holds me back.  But I forget that God is with me.  And my as my favorite line in the song says, “Embracing all your pain. Stand up now, walk, and live.” 

We know that our journey of faith is not any easy one.   This is almost a promise from God.  But, He tells us not to let our worries hold us back.  With Him we are more than “good enough.”  We are great!

They'll Know We Are Christians

Today’s gospel is from Luke 10: 1-12.  In this gospel the Lord sends his followers out on a mission to spread the news of the Lord to the towns in which he planned on visiting.  He says, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few: so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” 

Today we can interpret this as the Lord asking us, His followers, to go out and spread the Good News to those among us who may not have heard it or may not believe in it.  Now, going out and proclaiming to the world that Jesus is the Lord is not my strong suit.  In fact, even the word evangelization frightens me.  But there are more, and possibly more effective, ways to spread the Word of God than preaching to strangers on the street or going door to door.  I feel the most effective way to spread God’s word is merely to live your life in a Christ-like manor.  When you walk, talk, and act like a Christian others will take notice and it will inspire others to do the same.  This always reminds me of the song in church that goes, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Today, can you think of a time when you showed God’s love to someone else?  If someone spotted you in a crowd, would they know that you are a Christian by the way you act?

Since today is the memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, I figured a quote was fitting.

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”  -  Saint Francis of Assisi

-Brent

Farming 101

Today's Gospel reading might seem a little bit harsh or blunt, but it has very true meaning behind it. In the Gospel, Jesus talks to three disciples that desire to follow Him. Each of these men has a different excuse that is preventing him from fully giving himself to Jesus.

The first disciple exclaims that he will follow Christ wherever He travels. This man appears to be a loyal follower, but Jesus can see past his disguise. This man is simply saying that he will follow Christ, but he does not truly believe. Jesus is able to look past superficial words, into the true meaning of a person's actions and faith. Sometimes this happens to me, where I will say something and do the opposite. Jesus can see that words have no meaning if you are able not live up to them. If I wish to follow Christ, I must put my whole being into living as Jesus would want me to live. This may be difficult, but just think of the pain that Jesus had to go through while He was on the cross. When I think of this, it puts many of my problems into the correct perspective.

The second and third disciples both have excuses that relate to family. When Jesus speaks of dropping everything to follow him, he is not limiting this to possessions. There is a very interesting phrase in this passage: You cannot plow a straight row looking backwards. I am not a farmer of any sorts, but I think most people realize that, if you plow long enough while looking backwards, you cannot stay in a straight line. The same concept can be applied to walking or driving. Imagine driving while looking out of the rearview window the entire time! In the same way, I am not able to walk straight with Christ if I am looking back on my previous life.

Leaving home for college is a big challenge for many people. You are finally able to make decisions for yourself and not be restricted by your parents. However, you must live with the consequences if you make the wrong decision. I was very nervous about leaving my home to live at a college that was four hours away. I was always thinking about what could go wrong. However, once I had made some new friends, I found life in college much more enjoyable. I still communicate with my family, I make sure to update them with what is going on in my life. However, I am not homesick like I was during that first week away. In the same way, Jesus is asking us to have the confidence and maturity to leave life and walk with him. Obsessing over the past will make it much more difficult, just like calling my parents or going home ever weekend would have made it harder for me to adjust to college life. It is not easy to do, but Jesus will help you along the way, just like the friends I made in college helped me. Realize that you are never alone, Jesus is always with you.

Luke

Carefree Children

In today's Gospel reading Jesus says, "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."  I really love this idea and I always find it such a great reminder.  Kids have such a great trust in the world and in the goodness of people.  They have yet to experience pain or disappointment.  They have yet to worry about life's troubles or spend time making a tough decision.  They simply trust.  They simply believe.  They simply smile when they are happy, and cry when they are sad.  They don't know how to pretend to be something they are not.  They don't judge other people.  They don't look down upon other people.  They don't deem themselves better than others.  They simply want to play and have fun and smile.  They are carefree and their love reflects that.

Obviously, kids have it easier.  They don't have the life that we have, the challenges that we face.  But that's just it.  We can give our problems to God.  He can help us face them.  Our problems become small with our powerful God.  I always love the saying, "Don't tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your God is."

The point is, we can still have a childlike faith.  When I hear this gospel, I always stop and check myself.  Am I loving and trusting freely?  Do I live my life carefree like a child or do I let my problems overwhelm me?  Am I being judgmental or comparing myself to others?  Or am I simply smiling and laughing knowing that I have a God that loves me more than I could ever know?

Why focus on our problems?  We have God.  We have His help and His love and all the beautiful gifts He has given us.  Like children, let's not worry.  Instead, let's change our outlook and focus on the love that surrounds us and how powerful that is!

Until next time,
Mel

Carpe Diem

Wow. It is October 1^st. This week marks the start of the 6^th week of classes (or work, if you’re like me and on co-op), which translates to 1/3 of the semester being over. To be honest, I never thought semesters would fly by so fast. But as I was thinking about that today as I switched my calendar, I realized that that’s pretty much how life works. I know people say it all the time; about high school, about college, about having kids, about your job. And while I hear them say it, I don’t think I ever fully listen. It seems like good advice: make the most of your time, because before you know it it’s gone, and yet it’s so much harder to practice than to simply say it.

I like to think I’m good at prioritizing things in my life, but I’m really not that great at it. I generally put school first, and if it’s not school it’s my extracurriculars. I tend to put the people aside, even though I really care about my family and friends. I value my relationships with them, but when it comes down to it I’m always making excuses about putting other things first. For example, I’ll tell myself, “Well, your exam is in two days, and you can never retake that, so studying is more important. You can call your friend later.” But the problem is, something else always comes up later, and I continuously put it off and then it just never happens. It’s something I’ve been wanting to get better about, but haven’t really gotten around to (see the trend?). Lately, though, I’ve tried to be better and make time for what’s really important. And especially today, as I thought about how fast the last five weeks have gone, it really hit me. Life really does fly by, and I need to start making more time for the things that are truly important.

Carpe diem. I know it’s cliché, but we really do need to seize the day. Life is so precious, and in an instant everything can change. I don’t want to have any regrets, or miss any chances. I don’t want to be left saying “if only” or “what if.” So, I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to, every morning, think about how you will seize the day. Take a step back, and smile, because in the grand scheme everything is going to work out. Life is good, God is watching over you, and you are loved. So tell the people close to you that you appreciate them; I promise it’ll make their day. Pause for a few seconds to watch the sunset, and see the beauty in nature. Listen to your favorite song, and take some time for yourself to chillax. Reflect on the past few weeks or even months, and see how you’ve grown and what you’d like to improve on. Dream big, and believe in yourself. Remember that God has a purpose for you, and everything will happen exactly as it’s meant to.

God bless,

Kathe