In our building, we have a neighbor whose depression affects the way he thinks. One day, I caught him smoking in the common area. His cigarette smoke would go all the way up to our unit where my months-old baby would inhale it. In anger, I shouted and reprimanded him. He went away quietly.

I felt guilty immediately after the incident. He tried to avoid me whenever we met. My guilt became worse when, in one of our neighborhood Christmas parties, I was told that his family is abroad and left him to live here by himself.

I decided to make amends. The following morning, I greeted him with a smile. He smiled back. The next days, I greeted him, “Good morning!” He greeted me too. One morning, he offered me his bag of chips. I almost cried.

Jesus’ challenge to us is not to demand mercy from our neighbors, but rather, to show mercy. It’s not to find the good neighbor, but rather, to be the good neighbor. 

Boggs Burbos (boggsburbos@yahoo.com) 

reflect

Among the people around you, is there a particular person whom God calls you to show more patience and understanding?

Father, may I show mercy to people. Grant me the grace to extend my patience and understanding, especially to those who are difficult to love.

Saint Bruno, priest, pray for us.

Like other prophets, Jonah was reluctant to proclaim the Word of God. He did not want to go to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, because they were the enemies of his people, and he did not want them to repent and be forgiven by God. Instead, he wanted God’s judgment to fall upon them. That is why he went the opposite way of what God said. This story shows us the infinite nature of God’s mercy and His willingness to always forgive the repentant sinner.

¹ This is the word of the Lord that came to Jonah, son of Amittai: ² “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me.” ³ But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the Lord. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish, away from the Lord. ⁴ The Lord, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea, and in the furious tempest that arose the ship was on the point of breaking up. ⁵ Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god. To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship, and lay there fast asleep.  ⁶ The captain came to him and said, “What are you doing asleep? Rise up, call upon your God! Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish.” ⁷ Then they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots to find out on whose account we have met with this misfortune.” So they cast lots, and thus singled out Jonah^{. 8} “Tell us,” they said, “what is your business? Where do you come from? What is your country, and to what people do you belong?” ⁹ Jonah answered them, “I am a Hebrew, I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” ¹⁰ Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him, “How could you do such a thing!” They knew that he was fleeing from the Lord, because he had told them. ¹¹ They asked, “What shall we do with you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea was growing more and more turbulent. ¹² Jonah said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea, that it may quiet down for you; since I know it is because of me that this violent storm has come upon you.” ¹³ Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not, for the sea grew ever more turbulent. ¹⁴ Then they cried to the Lord: “We beseech you, O Lord, let us not perish for taking this man’s life; do not charge us with shedding innocent blood, for you, Lord, have done as you saw fit.” ¹⁵ Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea’s raging abated. 16 Struck with great fear of the Lord, the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him. ^2:1 But the Lord sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. ² From the belly of the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God: ¹¹ Then the Lord commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore. 

Responsorial Psalm | Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8

R: You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord. 

³ Out of my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me; from the midst of the nether world I cried for help, and you heard my voice. (R) ⁴ For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea, and the flood enveloped me; all your breakers and your billows passed over me. (R) ⁵ Then I said, “I am banished from your sight! Yet would I again look upon your holy temple.” (R) ⁸ When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; my prayer reached you in your holy temple. (R)

Gospel | Luke 10:25-37

Since God is invisible, our love for Him is hard to measure apart from the love we give Him by loving others. As Saint John says, “How can we say we love God who is not seen when we do not love our brothers who we do see?” In today’s parable, Jesus teaches us about loving our neighbor in a practical way. We must extend the hand of love and friendship to all we meet who are in need of our love. 

Gospel Acclamation 

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.”

Reflect:

How do you love others in simple, practical ways?

Read the Bible in one year! Read HOSEA 6 - 10 today.