Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Songs

Entrance:

Preparation of the Gifts:

Communion:

Recessional:

Ordo

NOTE      Gr   V1R1

HOURS*    Pss III   Seasonal prop

MASS      Prop   Gl   Cr   Sun Pf I–VIII

RDGS      105: Dt 30:10-14   Ps 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37 or Ps 19:8-11   Col 1:15-20   Lk 10:25-37

RDGS      

Lectionary for Mass: For Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, Second Typical Edition, Volumes I–IV 105. Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time C

105. FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

FIRST READING

The word is very near to you: you have only to carry it out.

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (30:10–14)

Moses said to the people:

“If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God,

and keep his commandments and statutes

that are written in this book of the law,

when you return to the LORD, your God,

with all your heart and all your soul.

“For this command that I enjoin on you today

is not too mysterious and remote for you.

It is not up in the sky, that you should say,

‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us

and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’

Nor is it across the sea, that you should say,

‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us

and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’

No, it is something very near to you,

already in your mouths and in your hearts;

you have only to carry it out.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

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SUMMARY

The great commandment of love is not something “mysterious” or “remote.” Indeed, it is “very near” to us (1). Yet how difficult it is to fulfill, being neighbor to whomever is in need (3). But if we seek God (Ps), we must “go and do the same” (3), for we have been created in, for, and through Christ (2).

MEMORIAL

Rev. Patrick Cafferky   (SD) 1946

Main Points

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

“Do this and you will live.”

The one who treated him with mercy.

Go and do likewise.

Who is my neighbor?

HOMILY

Good morning St. Rose of Lima,

How wonderful it is to look out and see this wonderful community of faith. Please take a quick moment to turn to your neighbors, exchange a smile, and say “Thank you for being here this morning!”

Yes thank you for coming to spend time today with God. Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Our Lord truly is present with us here today. Not only in the Eucharist in the tabernacle… but also in the tabernacles of each one of you. Christ in you. Christ in me. We are the body of Christ.

We hear of Christ in our Second Reading today. Saint Paul tells us that Christ is the image of the invisible God and that all things were created through him and for him.

ALL things were created through him and for him. Not some of the things, not most of the things, but all things were created for God.

That is an important point to carry forward as we unpack our Gospel this morning. The first part of our Gospel is commonly referred to as “The Greatest Commandment” were the Jewish scholar of the law, recites the teaching to…

Love God with all our heart, being, strength, and mind.

In our First Reading, Moses reinforces this same teaching to the Israelites… as their journey in the desert… and Moses’ own life… was nearing it’s end.

The Jewish Law Scholar in our Gospel goes on to tell Jesus that the second part of the law is to “love your neighbor as yourself” to which Jesus affirms and instructs him to go do. Of course, this also applies to all of us. It is not simply enough to be aware that we need to love God and neighbor. We actually have to do it.

The Scholar continues as I think we all would… he tries to negotiate the terms of the teaching by defining who would this commandment of love of neighbor should apply to.

Jesus then gives us the Parable of the Good Samaritan and starts of by telling the Scholar of a man left half-dead on the side of the road… after being robbed… while travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho.

Wow! What an opening scene? It takes place somewhere between Jerusalem and Jericho. Now for context, Jerusalem is of course considered THE holy place for this Jewish Scholar. This city is set on Mount Zion… it is high up… close to God. Now Jericho… Jericho is in low country. It is just northwest of The Dead Sea… the lowest point on earth. The road in this parable represents the faith journey that every person travels between holiness and something other.

Jesus goes on to tell the Scholar that

• a Jewish Priest

o who was in charge of ritual sacrifices and being the intercessor between God and the people

• and that a Levite

o who’s job it was to assist the Jewish Priests and to take care of the temple

That they both encountered the robbed man on the side of the road and not only did they not assist the victim but also actively moved to the opposite of the road to avoid him altogether. Now culturally, the Scholar would have understood that both the Priest and the Levite were bound by purity law… and would need to avoid a possible dead body… to maintain their ability to perform their ritual duties. Jesus is telling the scholar that even these men esteem for works with God in the Jewish faith… were also on this road in between holiness and something other.

Jesus then tells the scholar of the Samaritan’s encounter with the robbed man and presents him as hero in this parable. This would be shocking to the Scholar upon first hearing it… as The Israelites had nothing to do with the Samaritans. The Samaritians were Israelites in origin have since intermarried with non-Israelite people and have adopted pagan cultures and beliefs. In other words, it went against the Laws of Israel… the laws of purity… and most especially the law to love to God with all you heart, being, strength, and mind.

Jesus describes the Samaritan as the one who approaches the wounded man on the side of the road. The Samaritan spends time with the suffering man and helps to mend his wounds. He journeys with the wounded man, leaves him in the hands of another, and even pays the price to allow the wounded man to continue his healing.

As you know, Jesus prompts the Scholar and the Scholar correctly recognizes the neighbor as the one who showed mercy. Jesus instructs the Scholar to go and do likewise and of course, is asking the same of all us here today.

This morning I asked you to greet your neighbors and as you did I looked out to watch everyone proceed to greet those immediately seated around them. And that was the right response. If you followed the instructions to greet all of your neighbors in the sense that Jesus used in this Gospel… you’d still be greeting now and for the rest of your life.

Jesus is asking us today, to call to mind who we immediately think of when we think of our neighbors. And more importantly, who we don’t immediately think of as neighbor.

We likely will initially include those within our proximity, those that we are familiar with, and those who are like ourselves.

Jesus challenges us to examine our hearts and our lives to identify where we we fail to recognize the other as our neighbor. This could be someone that causes us pain or discomfort.

I think it is fair to say that it is easier to make the effort to love some people than others… but we are called to show mercy to all. Yes that does include

• Criminals,

• the homeless,

• illegal immigrants

• drug users

It even includes

• Atheists

• Agnostics

• heck… even enemies of the Church…

Jesus does not give us permission to ever harden our hearts. We aren’t allowed to cross to the other side of the road in order to avoid having to extend mercy to a tough-to-love neighbor.

To call back to our Second Reading…

We are all created through Christ and for Christ.

• Not just some of us or most of us

• Not just the ones that have been to confession

• Not just Christians.

We are all created through Christ and for Christ.

Which simply means… that we should consider all to be our neighbors.

Now Jesus isn’t asking you take your neighbor’s problems and make them your own but he is asking you to extend love and mercy to that neighbor. To fully abide by this teaching can be tough… especially if we try to do it only on our own… without God.

Moses encourages us in this tough teaching in our First Reading today, He says

11 …this command… is not too wondrous or remote for you.

14 …it is something very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.

We are equipped to do this and should include God when loving our neighbors especially when it feels tough to do. When we honor and cooperate with Christ in ourselves it becomes easier to recognize Christ in all of our neighbors. Even when our neighbor… doesn’t recognize Christ in themself or in us in return.

So let us preach the Good News of Christ by the way we love others.

For while we were in our own sin, somewhere on the road between holiness and something other, Jesus Christ came to us and found us dead in sin on the side of the road. He entered into our suffering, approached it, and mended it. He left us in the hands of His Church and paid the price for restoration and continued healing.

Another great example to take inspiration from is Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who you might know as Mother Teresa. She was the living embodiment of how to show love and mercy to all neighbors. I’d like to leave you with a reflection on her words, as written on the wall in Mother Teresa’s Home for Children in Calcutta. Feel free to close your eyes and listen. 

Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create Anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

NICENE CREED

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Amen.