Bible Diary

Daily Reading

St Faustina Kowalska

LECTIONARY
461

FIRST READING

Gal 1:6-12

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

PSALM

PS 111:1B-2, 7-8, 9 AND 10C

Response: The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.

He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.

GOSPEL

Lk 10:25-37

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he 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 neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, 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. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the

Daily Reflection

The Gospel story of ‘The Good Samaritan’ has become a universal example to express going above and beyond, to lend a helping hand no matter the circumstances or who the person may be.

So what particular message does the story hold for us?

First, one would need to understand why Jesus uses the example of a ‘Samaritan’. Samaritans were despised by the Jews for being a mixed race: half Jewish and half Gentile, because of intermarriage with their Assyrian captors of the Northern Kingdom of Judea. They were also considered pagans because of their worship of idols. There was tremendous mutual distrust and dislike between the Jews and the Samaritans. Jesus mentions the Samaritan in this parable because, in the circumstances, he would be the least likely to help a Jew.

The priest allowed his position to override his sense of humanity. The Levite, an expert in God’s Law, sadly ignored the meaning and fulfilment of that law. But the Samaritan went out of his way, at his own risk and expense, to help this man.

The Gospel message, then, is a reminder that as disciples, we are called to fulfil God’s plan, not just in word but in concrete action.