Sunday July 10, 2022

DISCOVER TODAY: If we love God, we naturally care about other people even when it costs us something personally.

Good News Reflection for:

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 10, 2022

Today’s Prayer:

Forgive me, Father, for the apathy I showed in so many suffering situations. I repent of this and I commit myself to seek strength in Your love and mercy and to get involved wherever I see pain and need. Amen.

Subscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

Deuteronomy 30:10-14
Ps 69:14,17,30-31,33-34,36-37 or Ps 19:8-11
Colossians 1:15-20
Luke 10:25-37
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071022.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2022-07-10

Enough love to heal the world

The opposite of love is not hate. It’s apathy: ignoring a need, not caring, and doing nothing when there is something we can do to relieve suffering. In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus gives us the Parable of the Good Samaritan to explain that if we love God with our whole heart, our whole being, our whole strength, and our whole mind, we naturally care about other people, even those who are strangers, even those whom we’re “not supposed to” like, and even when it costs us something personally.

Many of the problems that exist in our world today are allowed to continue because too many of us Christians — we who through Christ have the power to change the world — do not care enough to sacrifice our time and personal agendas to get involved. Much of the suffering that’s endured in our families and workplaces and parishes would be stopped or relieved if enough Christians loved God enough to care about others enough to risk the cost of intervening.

How much do you love God? The answer lies in how much you’re willing to sacrifice for the sake of loving others, which is the definition of love that Jesus taught us with this parable and with his life. What are we willing to sacrifice on this 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time?

None of us love God perfectly yet. Purgatory will be a time of painfully regretting our lack of love, while eagerly improving our love for others so we can enter into the fullness of God’s love in heaven. Until then, we have daily opportunities, here and now, to purify our lives less painfully. Daily we’re given tests to improve how well we love others.

So daily ask the Holy Spirit, your teacher, your empowerer, your source of holiness, to help you become more like Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you love all others as Christ loves them.

By doing this spiritual exercise consistently, you will receive a new joy and an enlivened passion in dealing with others. You will feel greater love for God and you will experience his love for you much more intimately.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
Whom do you pass by and ignore when you see suffering? Is there anyone you’ve recently walked away from because you didn’t want to give up something (perhaps your time, pride, prejudice, feeling of inadequacy, resentment or unforgiveness)? Take it to the Sacrament of Confession to receive God’s grace and help in loving others more fully.

Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
Name a “Good Samaritan” you know or have read about. What did this person give up to serve others? How do such people find the ability to love so well? Describe a situation you’ve witnessed where apathy has contributed to someone’s suffering. How could love make a difference?

Thank you for reflecting with us on this 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time!

To help you reflect further on this, go to our WordByte called: “Testimony of Christian Galvan: ‘Ministry is joyful self-sacrifice’” @ https://wordbytes.org/evangelization-ministry/testimony-of-christian-galvan/.

© 2022 by Terry A. Modica

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