15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Short Reflection for the 15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time ©: the Good Samaritan

Readings:  Deuteronomy 30: 10-14; Colossians 1: 15-20; Luke 10: 25-37

"And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10: 29)

Selected Passages: "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.”

“But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.” (Luke 10: 30-34)

Meditation: The parable of the Good Samaritan challenges us to “REVISE” our understanding of neighbor. The person in need is a neighbor to us. And people who need us most are our special neighbor. And beware that we do not pass by on the opposite side when we see a neighbor in need.

In recent past, a famous letter addressed to all Christian leaders by Muslim Scholars speak of the Common Word and Bond that unite Christians and Muslims. This is the LOVE of God and the Love of Neighbors.

DHIKR SIMPLE METHOD...

Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1.    Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2.   Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 

3.   Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…