15sotcc2 | biblical-apostolate

Lectio Divina

II. MEDITATIO

How does God’s Word apply to our situation now? The following questions may help.

1. If you found the victim by the road, would you be willing to help? Can you think of someone who would? If the victim in the story were your neighbor or your friend would you be more willing to act like the Samaritan? So what is Jesus telling us? What is it that makes all people neighbors?

2. Think of the Good Samaritan story in terms of today’s world. How might you care for a person if s/he can’t walk, or needs medical care and bandaging, or needs arrangements for decent shelter?

III. ORATIO AND CONTEMPLATIO

W e spend some time in silent prayer to meet the risen Lord who works in us through the power of the holy Spirit. We can repeat and keep repeating each of the following “mantras” or others from the text until we reach a still point where we can pray without words, where the Lord takes hold of us and transform us through his power.

“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.”

Luke 10.27

ACTIO

Pray that peoples of the earth may understand more and more the vital role of Jesus Christ in creation and salvation history. By your active works of charity to the poor and vulnerable, strive to be a “neighbor” in today’s world.

Resolve, today, to be a Good Samaritan, especially towards those who are injured spiritually and who will not reach heaven unless you give them a helping hand.

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord,
who is this passerby
who cleaned the man’s wounds?

You are.
You are the soul
of the humble passer-by.

And who among us shares your soul?
Mother Teresa and some other saints perhaps,
whose hands and hearts always welcomed you as guest.

Please let us find the place where you live within us.
Let us be bold enough to clean wounds,
to kindly shelter our neighbors,
to help pay their bills and
give them your
helping
hand.