Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? – Galatians 1:10

       “Lord, why aren’t You blessing me?” This was the cry of my heart each time I walked off the stage after preaching to my “small” audience at my weekly gathering. I was frustrated and felt I wasn’t a good speaker. I started becoming envious of the other preachers who were more successful in growing their congregation. I became angry and bitter.

       Then I ran into a pastor who had a similar start but was now handling a huge gathering. He told me, “George, you’ll be amazed at what God will do when you just love those people in your crowd.” That day, I realized that my mission was not to become successful in the eyes of men because I had a huge following. My job was to serve the people whom God sent my way.

       The next week, I simply decided to love the people in the crowd more than I loved myself. My objective was to bless them with God’s message.

       I gave the best talk of my life that day. The gathering eventually grew in attendance. More importantly, I was set free. It was no longer about me. George Tolentino Gabriel (george.g@svrtv.com)

Reflection:What are your motivations for success? Are they based on love or pride?

It seems that Paul is battling false prophets and preachers in Galatia. He proclaims that there is only one true Gospel and that the community needs to be careful about who they invite to speak to them. Today, many claim to be a Christian but are not. Any person who denies the full divinity of Christ is not a Christian.

6 Brothers and sisters: I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel 7 (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! 9 As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed! 10 Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ. 11 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 111:1-2, 7-8, 9, 10

R: The Lord will remember his covenant forever.

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. 2 Great are the works of the Lord, exquisite in all their delights. (R) 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; sure are all his precepts, 8 reliable forever and ever, wrought in truth and equity. (R) 9 He has sent deliverance to his people; he has ratified his covenant forever; holy and awesome is his name. 10 His praise endures forever. (R)

The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the all-time classics of the Gospels. Its message is simple — love your neighbor as you love yourself, or do to others as you would want them to do to you. The question is: How well do we live this principle in our daily lives?

I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.

25 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” 27 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.” 28 He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” 29 But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 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. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 32 Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 33 But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. 34 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. 35 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.’ 36 Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” 37 He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

think: Today, many claim to be a Christian but are not. Any person who denies the full divinity of Christ is not a Christian.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

THE TRUE NEIGHBOR

One of man’s deepest desires is to achieve eternal life. It is a genuine life, a life we can attain and enjoy even before we die.

       In today’s Gospel, a lawyer comes to Jesus and asks Him how he can possess eternal life. Recognizing the test, Jesus replies with what the Law prescribes. That is, love of God and neighbor (cf. Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18). The lawyer then goes on with another inquiry regarding the neighbor’s identity.

       Instead of answering the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus redirects the inquiry: “Who acted as a neighbor?” From the question of neighbor as object of love, Jesus makes the neighbor as the subject of love.

       For Jesus, a neighbor is someone who attends to any person in need, whatever his or her color, race, nationality, religion or social background may be. Loving one’s neighbor is responding to a person’s need, wherever they are found. It is not just feeling the other’s pain and suffering but being moved to help relieve it.

         When I was in Tacloban during the Papal Visit in 2015, I met a priest who recounted his parish’s story of survival. His parish was severely hit by Typhoon Yolanda. For weeks, relief goods had been scarce and wanting. Loneliness and helplessness began to creep in until an imam from Mindanao acted as “good Samaritan.” He sent them food supplies and medicines, just enough to sustain them for two weeks.

      The Dalai Lama once quipped, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

        Love of God and love of neighbor are two sides of the same coin. We cannot fully find our true self — as God’s beloved — except through a sincere gift of our self to others (cf Gaudium et Spes, 24). Fr. Paolo Asprer

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Remember an instance when you helped someone in need. How did you feel? And then remember an instance when you turned your back on someone in need. How did you feel? What insight did you gain?

Lord Jesus, Your compassion is perfect. Grant me a compassionate heart for the needy. Amen.