Moment of honesty…

We don’t mind the idea of loving our neighbor–until that neighbor is someone who annoys us, disagrees with us, or rubs us the wrong way.

That’s what makes this Gospel tough.

Jesus tells the story of a man who’s beaten, robbed, and left for dead. A priest walks by. Then a Levite. And neither stops. When a Samaritan shows up—someone from a group the Jews generally avoided and looked down upon—he’s the one who helps.

It’s easy to admire the Samaritan.

It’s harder to admit how often we play the role of the other two.

We all have our versions: the family member we’ve written off. The person at work we avoid. The homeless guy at the train station that we pretend not to see. And if we’re honest, we ask ourselves “Do I really have to help?”

This week in the homily, we were reminded that the answer is simple: yes.

Because that’s what love requires.

Loving God and loving your neighbor aren’t two separate things. One shows up in the other.

It might look like giving someone your full attention.

Not rolling your eyes in the grocery line.

Checking in on someone you’ve avoided.

Forgiving someone who never said sorry.

Small things, but they matter.

The Gospel doesn’t say the Samaritan fixed everything. He just stopped and did what he could.

That’s the invitation this week: don’t walk past. Look up. Help where you can. That’s where eternal life starts—right in the middle of “regular life.”

God bless,
-FF