July 13: The Day of the Lord / El Día del Señor

The Book of Deuteronomy invites us to treasure the Mosaic Law as the direct communication of God’s will, the answer to “what would God have us do?” In Jesus’ telling of the parable of the Good Samaritan, as He did in the Sermon on the Mount, He adds to the Old Testament “teaching of love,” deepening its application.

The parable of the Good Samaritan will obviously be the centerpiece of many homilies this weekend, but it would be good to hear the story once in a while in a fresh way.

A classic example of a “new” perspective on the story comes, surprisingly, from an ancient source. The writer was Origen of Alexandria (c. 185 AD - c. 254): “The man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho is Adam. Jerusalem is Paradise. Jericho is this world. The thieves are the forces of the enemy. The priest is the Law. The Levite is the prophets. The Samaritan is Christ. The wounds are brought on by disobedience. The horse is the Body of Christ. The inn (which is open to all who wish to enter) is the Church. The two silver coins are the Father and the Son. The inn-keeper is the pastor of the flock, whose duty is to care. The Samaritan’s promise to return indicates the Savior’s Second Coming.”

Origen was the father of what is called the “Allegorical Method,” and the above is an example of it at full strength! Sure, it can sound a little strained at times, but it represents a determination that the Scriptures cannot remain dead on the page – but they have to come alive in every circumstance of our lives and in every situation. Be sure to take some time this week to open the Scriptures (even revisit the parable of the Good Samaritan) and prayerfully apply it to the events of your life as the week unfolds.

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¿Cómo entendemos la frase “Vete y haz tú lo mismo?” En Lucas 10, 25-37, Jesús no dice entiéndelo o estés de acuerdo. No se trata de saber muchas cosas teóricamente, o de estudiar muchos libros, o de cumplir las normas sin más. Se trata de amar a Dios y de amar al prójimo. Lo dice San Pablo, “Si no tengo amor, nada soy.” 

Según la parábola de la Misa de hoy, de nada valen los rezos del sacerdote que bajaba por el camino, pero no atendió al herido o la oración del levita, que tampoco hizo nada. Lo dice la carta de Santiago, “Muéstrame tu fe sin obras, que yo por mis obras te mostraré mi fe.” Vale más el gesto del samaritano, porque demuestra amor.

Jesús nos ha dicho: “Hazte prójimo” de quien está en necesidad y heredarás la vida. Su parábola lleva un mensaje explosivo: quien ama al prójimo ama ciertamente también a Dios. Quizás lo rechace de palabra, pero en realidad no está rechazando a Dios, sino solamente a una falsa imagen suya. Los “samaritanos” que aman al hermano y a la hermana, quizás sin saberlo, están adorando a Dios.