Shanborlang Mawrie csc –
Readings: Jon 1:1-17,2:1,10; Lk 10:25-37
Today’s readings are about our love for neighbours.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us about the need for loving our neighbour through the parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable reveals that the neighbour is not only the one who lives in an adjacent home to us or the one from whom we receive love, but the one who deserves care and concern. The new meaning given by the parable for the word neighbour is ‘the one who shows mercy’. The acts of love and mercy hold the power to transform the life of the ‘giver’ and the ‘receiver’, as well as the society. In practice, loving our neighbours involves not only feeling empathy but also taking tangible actions to help others.
In the first reading we see God asked Jonah to be his messenger to the Ninevites, but disobeyed God by taking a ship to Tarshish. He did this because of his prejudices against the people of Nineveh. Today’s readings invite us to overcome biases and prejudices as an expression of true love. They challenge us to go beyond the borders of caste, race, and socio-economic status. Love your neighbours is a call to embrace diversity.