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Gospel Reading for October 6, 2025 – Luke 10: 25-37
BASIC
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “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.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
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The victim, the priest who, upon seeing the victim passed on the opposite side, and the Levite who also avoided the victim were all Jews. Then, here comes a Samaritan, considered enemy by the Jews, but stops and helps the victim not only for the moment but makes sure the victim is healed when he comes back to pay more if what he initially gave the innkeeper to take care of the victim was not enough.
Jesus’ story is not just interesting. It is a very strong statement of what TRUE LOVE means: It is doing to others what we would want others to do to us even if we consider that other as an enemy. Of course, this is easier said than done. But, we cannot really be called Christians or followers of Christ if we do not make an effort to do this. Because one thing is for sure – if we ask God to help us be able to do it, we can do it. Love is BASIC in Christianity. Unless we can truly love, we cannot be true Christians.
O Lord, teach us to love God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and to love our neighbor as we love ourself!
