O God, who show the light of your truth to those who go astray, so that they may return to the right path, give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honor. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading. Deut 30:10-14
Moses spoke to the people, saying, 10 “Obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law; turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 “Surely this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ 13 “Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ 14 “No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.”
Responsorial Psalm69.13+16, 29-30, 32-33, 35ab+36
Second ReadingCol 1: 15-20
Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers— all things have been created through him and for him. 17 Christ is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Gospel Acclamation
Gospel.Lk 10:25-37
A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 The lawyer answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.” 28 And Jesus said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asked 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, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 “But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured 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 the Samaritan took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’” 36 Jesus asked, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 The lawyer said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Catena Nova
This guardian of souls who showed mercy to the man who fell into the hands of brigands was a better neighbor to him than were either the law or the prophets, and he proved this more by deeds than by words. Now the saying: “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ,” makes it clear that we can imitate Christ by showing mercy to those who have fallen into the hands of brigands. We can go to them, bandage their wounds after pouring in oil and wine, place them on our own mount, and bear their burdens. And so the Son of God exhorts us to do these things, in words addressed not only to the teacher of the law but to all of us: “Go and do likewise.” If we do, we shall gain eternal life in Christ Jesus, “to whom belongs glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.”(Origen of Alexandria)
Whoever finds shelter in Christ’s mercy accepts two denarii from Him, one of which signifies the love of God with one’s whole heart and the other the love of one’s neighbour as oneself, according to the lawyer’s reply (Mk 12:30f). But“not the hearers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law shall be justified”(Rm 2:13). Hence we must not merely accept these two coins but we must, by our own good deeds, co-operate in the fulfilment of these two commandments. And so, the Lord says to the innkeeper, that whatever he does in caring for the wounded man will be made up to him at the Lord’s second coming according to the measure of his devotion.”(St. Gregory of Nyssa)
All our religion is but a false religion and all our virtues are mere illusions and we ourselves are only hypocrites in the sight of God, if we have not that universal charity for everyone – for the good and for the bad, for the poor and for the rich and for all those who do us harm, as much as those who do us good.(St. John Vianney)
How good You are, O Divine Samaritan, to gather up this wounded world so sadly fallen along the way, trapped in such mire and so unworthy of Your Goodness! The more wicked the world, the more Your Mercy shines forth: to be infinitely good to the good, is a thousand times less admirable, than to be infinitely good to souls, who, even though lavished with graces, are simply ungrateful, unfaithful, perverse. The more wicked we are, the more the marvel of Your infinite Mercy gleams and shines. This in itself, suffices to explain, the great good that sin produces on the earth and explains, why You permit it. It makes way for an incomparable greater good – the exercise and manifestation of Your divine Mercy…. Ah! My Lord and God, how Good you are! How Merciful! Mercy is, so to speak, the overflow of Your Goodness and what is most passionate in Your Goodness, the weight by which Your Goodness overcomes Your Justice. How divinely good You are! (St. Charles de Foucauld)
The real question we are asking is: What should I do? God has told you what to do. Someone is right there with you and needs your help. Isn't that true of your next door neighbor? You have as much reason to help the person next door, even those that person has no special title to claim your help, as you have to help any other person you encounter. Stopping to ask if that person has a special claim on you is throwing dust in your own eyes, as the lawyer’s question did. Didn’t the lawyer know the commandments? Why would he hesitate to do what he was commanded? To ask what makes someone your neighbor amounts to an effort to excuse yourself from obeying. So get on with the job! It isn't a question of who is my neighbor but of whose neighbor am I? Neighborliness isn't a quality others have but one God commands me to show. Every moment of our lives is a challenge to obedience and action. If others are in need they have a claim on us. We must behave like a neighbor toward others. Do you have to pause and think out what to do? You have to do the good it is in your power to do. You learn how to obey by trying to obey in whatever circumstances you find yourself in.(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey of life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.(Martin Luther King Jr.)
Compassion is expressed through practical gestures. The Evangelist Luke ponders the actions of the Samaritan, whom we call “good”, but in the text he is simply a person: a Samaritan approaches, because if you want to help someone, you cannot think of keeping your distance, you have to get involved, get dirty, perhaps be contaminated; he binds the wounds after cleaning them with oil and wine; he loads him onto his horse, taking on the burden, because one who truly helps if one is willing to feel the weight of the other’s pain; he takes him to an inn where he spends money, “two silver coins”, more or less two days of work; and he undertakes to return and eventually pay more, because the other is not a package to deliver, but someone to care for….when will we too be capable of interrupting our journey and having compassion? When we understand that the wounded man in the street represents each one of us. And then the memory of all the times that Jesus stopped to take care of us will make us more capable of compassion. (Pope Leo XIV)
Homily
The Lectionary comes through again. I could not have hoped for a more appropriate gospel than today's parable of the "Good Samaritan" in light of recent developments in the United States whether from the executive, legislative or judicial branches of government. But before looking at these, let's just admit right off the bat that Jesus' question to the person who posed the question, "And who is my neighbor," has an obvious answer once the parable is told. Yes, we all know who our neighbor is — so let's not pretend otherwise. And we also know perfectly well who the priest and the Levite are who walked by the unfortunate victim. Let's not play innocent there either. We also know who the Samaritan is — or better, is not. No need for denial on that score either. And of course, we are also perfectly aware who the victim is — and who the robber is. They are as plain as day. And finally, like the lawyer who asked the question, we can also 'fess up how much we like to justify ourselves when we get to thinking we've kept the all-important commandment to love our neighbor, that we ourselves are likely to be moved with pity should we be confronted with the victim.
But let's begin with the victim. The God of the Bible, after all, seems to have a thing fro victims — from Abel murdered by his brother, to Joseph sold into slavery by this brothers, to their descendant made slaves in Egypt to the poor, the orphan and the stranger for which the Law of Moses makes provision who in the New Testament Jesus pronounces "blessed" for to them belongs the Kingdom of God and finally the beloved Son himself — the Victim of victims.
So we might expect concern on the part of those who profess faith in this God for those who will be impacted by the recent budget bill signed into law, on all days, the Fourth of July. As the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote in response:
My brother bishops and I have repeatedly and consistently urged lawmakers to use the budget reconciliation process to help families in need and to change course on aspects of the bill that fail the poor and vulnerable. The final version of the bill includes unconscionable cuts to healthcare and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God’s creation. The bill, as passed, will cause the greatest harm to those who are especially vulnerable in our society. As its provisions go into effect, people will lose access to healthcare and struggle to buy groceries, family members will be separated, and vulnerable communities will be less prepared to cope with environmental impacts of pollution and extreme weather. More must be done to prevent these devastating effects.
So who is my neighbor? You know the answer.
Then we have the spectacle of immigrants rounded up, detained in government internment camps — including an especially odious one just built in Florida — while others are deported without due process to countries other than their own or who have their immigration status suddenly cancelled. All with the blessing of the Supreme Court. About such things, the same Archbishop Broglio wrote
In the context of a gravely deficient immigration system, the mass arrest and removal of our neighbors, friends and family members on the basis of immigration status alone, particularly in ways that are arbitrary or without due process, represent a profound social crisis before which no person of good will can remain silent. The situation is far from the communion of life and love to which this nation of immigrants should strive. The chronic lack of opportunities for legal status for our immigrant brothers and sisters, together with the growing denial of due process to them, is injurious to human dignity and is a considerable factor in the breakdown of the rule of law. On behalf of my brother bishops, I want to assure all of those affected by actions which tear at the fabric of our communities of the solidarity of your pastors. As your shepherds, your fear echoes in our hearts and we make your pain our own. Count on the commitment of all of us to stand with you in this challenging hour.
And please don't ask if masked ICE agents are like the robbers who beat the victim in the parable. You know they are.
Finally, the end of USAID — which had provided over 40 percent of global humanitarian funding — will cost the lives of more than 14 million of the world's most vulnerable people by the year 2030, a third of them small children. Before its funding was slashed, USAID represented only 0.3 percent of all US federal spending with US citizens contributing about 17 cents per day to USAID, or around $64 per year. (Cf, The Lancet; June 30, 2025;https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01186-9/fulltext). Compare that to the $850 billion dollar defense budget or 13 percent of the total.
And if you're wondering about the massive indifference of Americans, and whether we are collectively like the priest and Levite who passed by the victim of robbers — you know we are. Including the the Catholic Secretary of State — one of the 64 percent of voters who attend religious services often and who voted for the current occupant of the White House — who spearheaded the dismantling of USAID and who appeared on national television last Ash Wednesday with the Sign of the Cross on his forehead after attending a Mass held that day in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House. And please don't ask if this is a failure to be like the good Samaritan who tended to the wounds of the victim and paid for his lodging. You know it is.
All of which made me almost choke on the prayers I said during Mass on Independence Day such as these words taken from the Collect: Father…grant that, under your providence, our country may share your blessings with all the peoples of the earth.Nor do I think any of this is what Jesus had in mind when he told that lawyer,Go and do likewise. Do you?
Intercessions (Joe Milner; The Sunday Website)
For the Church: that we may follow Christ, the head of the Church, more closely and continue his mission of reconciling others to both God and one another.
For insight: that God will help us recognize our neighbor in the refugee, the homeless person, and the marginalized of society, and inspire our response to their needs today.
For all who have been the victims of crime: that God will restore their loss, heal their wounds, and help them to trust others again.
For all who care for those in need: that those working in outreach ministries, housing assistance, healthcare, pregnancy centers, or refugee services may continue to bring God’s love and compassion to those whom they serve.
For all who are ill or recovering from surgery: that they may know the tender touch of God through the prayer and care of this community.
For healing of racism: that we may be instruments of reconciliation, working for justice, and promoting the advancement of all who have suffered prejudice or discrimination.
For growth in respect in civic dialogue: that political leaders may listen to opposing views, respect the dignity of those with different ideas, and strive to find a path that will promote the welfare of all.
For peace: that we may turn to Christ, whose death and resurrection offers the only peace that endures, to bring an end to violence and bloodshed and give us a new vision for cooperation and justice.
In Christ you draw near to us, God of mercy and compassion, lifting us out of death, binding up our wounds, and nursing our spirits back to health. Let such a tenderness as yours compel us to go and do likewise. Grant this Christ our Lord. Amen. (ICEL; 1998)