Holy Infant Catholic Church
Father Michaels Weekly Thoughts
WEEKLY THOUGHTS 15th SUNDAY IN ORDIANRY TIME JULY 13th, 2025
Dear friends, welcome to the celebration of the 15th Sunday in Ordinary time and Second Sunday in the month of July. In the Gospel Reading of last Sunday, we heard Jesus sending seventy-two of his disciples to the field ahead of his visit and announcing the reign of God. The disciples returned with immense joy for the message they announced and power over demons and illnesses – as signs announcing the reign of God. Jesus still needs laborers to work in the field. Laborers need prayer to overcome the enemy on the field.
The first Reading Deut. 30: 10-14 Moses reminds the people that God’s commandments are written in their hearts. In the Gospel, a law scholar questions Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life and the greatest of commandment. Jesus responds that it is to love God with all your heart and loving your neighbor. The scholar wants to know the neighbor he should love. It is now Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan who helped a certain man on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho; attacked by brigands, beaten and robbed of his valuables – clothes and left bleeding at the roadside.
A priest on his way came along, saw him, and continued his journey. Then a Levite came along, saw the man, and passed by the injured man without giving help.
The third person travelling the same route- a Samaritan, went over to the injured man, cleaned his wounds-gave him first aid, put him on his animal and left him at the inn, paid the bill for the stay and promised to pay any extra on his return.
The Samaritan, a hated enemy, is compassionate to the plight of the person in need. There was a racial segregation and hate between Jews and Samaritans at the time of Jesus. To be human and Christian need to go beyond racial segregation. We are all children of God we call God our Father and in Jesus we have defeated all forms of hatred, racial or tribal segregation and treat each other as brothers and sisters. That we were created to love God with all our heart and must love my neighbor as myself.
Our last judgement will depend on how one exercised charity to a neighbor in particular: the aged, the sick and the poor. Excuses do not help. “As long as you did it to my brother, you did it to me.” Let us give our time to the least ones around us. Jesus made the unselfish Samaritan a hero and a model of sacrificial work to others as we see in them the image of Jesus.
Let us respond with compassion as Jesus sends us to do the same.
Have a wonderful week