the Water of Grace: Get out of your Chair

This morning at Sunday Mass, the gospel was about a well-known parable. It was Luke 10: 25-37, about the Good Samaritan. After reading or hearing that story, I've always reflected on it by placing myself in the shoes of the passerby. The one walking down the street and seeing the victim injured and left to die. What would I do if that was me? What makes one move with compassion? It is a good check, or reflection of our life, to see how we are living. Are we like the 'priest' or the 'levite' that passed by the victim, or are we like the Samaritan and help those in need that we meet each day. The Magnificat said, "whenever we come across someone engulfed in a suffering that we ourselves have suffered," we move with compassion. "The commandment to love our neighbor is in the experience of the compassion that others have shown us." Experiencing the compassion of Jesus.
But then one day, I came upon another reflection, in either something I read or in which someone told me. It had me put myself in the place of the victim, the one stripped of everything, of injured, and left to die. And then realizing that Jesus was the Good Samaritan and He is the one that tended to our cuts, bruises, wounds, and treated us with compassion. I never saw the story that way before. As myself being the injured, the wounds being my sins, my failings, my times of saying no to God's love... but then Jesus coming and sharing His Love with me, and mending my broken heart, my imperfect soul. It's really a beautiful story of mercy and love.

Father at Mass this morning, had a great homily on the parable also. I tried to take some notes from it, so I will try to piece together what he said. First he shared a story of when before he was in seminary, of eating with some friends for lunch, and some elderly ladies were leaving, and couldn't get their car started. They tried many times, but no luck. Many people were watching, but no one helped. So he decided to get up and see what he could do. He said he isn't a "gear head," so he just opened the hood, and tried to mess with some things. And afterwards they were able to start the car. He said he didn't really do anything, besides check on some filters. As he was going back to his table, a man near the car said something snarky to the effect as, "You didn't do anything to help them." After thinking about that, he wanted to reply, "No, but I did get out of my chair."

Father went on to say...

Go to that other side of the road, go out of our way. Reach out to anyone who needs God's love, anyone who needs God's compassion... Look beyond ourselves. Be vulnerable, take a risk. Get out of our chair. Love like He loves. Jesus came as a vulnerable child, and suffered and died for us to show His love and mercy. Be like that. Be kind, gentle, speak the truth. Be merciful. How can we do that??? Check on a coworker that seems not themselves... sad, quiet, alone. Stop and help a stranger who is broken down on the side of the road. Befriend someone who is new and does not have many friends yet. Take a few minutes to listen, really listen to a stranger, a friend, a family member about how they are doing. Squeeze a hand. Share a hug, a smile. When we do that, we will be reaching out to others through the help of God, and that is then how God's love will shine forth through us. So take a moment next time you see someone in need... get out of your chair, and share God's love, mercy, and grace with that person. And just think... if maybe everyone in this world of ours did that just a little each day, maybe our world wouldn't have so much sadness and hatred in it all. Happy Sunday!

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And here's a few random pictures that bring a smile to my face! :)