杏MAP导航

By Kielce Gussie

Continuing his reflections on the parables in the Gospel during his Wednesday General Audience, 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV recalled the 鈥渓earned and well-prepared man鈥攁 doctor of the Law鈥� from Luke鈥檚 Gospel. The 杏MAP导航 says this young man is too focused on himself and ignores others.

The doctor of the Law speaks to Jesus, inquiring how he can inherit eternal life. But 杏MAP导航 Leo exposed 鈥渢he deeper need for attention鈥� behind this question as the young man asks Jesus to explain the word 鈥渘eighbour.鈥�

Whom have I loved?

To answer this, Jesus recounted a parable that changes the young man's question entirely from "Who loves me?" to "Whom have I loved?"

The 杏MAP导航 explained the first is immature, 鈥渨hile the second is the question of an adult who has understood the meaning of life.鈥� The first is inactive, while the second requires action.

Jesus then shares the parable of the Good Samaritan, whose setting is the road a man takes to travel from Jerusalem on a mountain to Jericho, which is at sea level. 杏MAP导航 Leo likened this journey to life, calling it a 鈥渄ifficult and dangerous road.鈥�

On his journey, the man is beaten, robbed, and left for dead, which can happen to us when 鈥渃ircumstances, people鈥攅ven those we鈥檝e trusted鈥攕trip us of everything and leave us out in the open.鈥�

It is not a religious issue

But, the 杏MAP导航 pointed out, it is in these encounters with others that we come to know who we really are. When we meet someone in need, we are faced with a choice: 鈥渢o care for them or to look the other way.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Leo opens his second General Audience with the sign of the cross   (@Vatican Media)

In the parable, two people, a priest and a Levite, who we would imagine would stop and care for the hurt man, simply choose to ignore him. This, 杏MAP导航 Leo highlighted, shows that "religious practice alone does not automatically lead to compassion.鈥� It is not a characteristic of religion but one of being human. Human beings are called to be compassionate, no matter their religion.

The priest and the Levite represent all of us鈥攊n a hurry to get home. This hurry can keep us from being compassionate because, the 杏MAP导航 warned, people "who believe their journey takes priority are not willing to stop for others."

Compassion = taking risks

Only a Samaritan, 鈥渟omeone from a people traditionally despised,鈥� stops to help the wounded man. The Samaritan helps, not out of a religious requirement, but because 鈥渉e is one human being in front of another human being in need.鈥�

Compassion, 杏MAP导航 Leo stressed, takes form through concrete actions, because in order to help someone, 鈥測ou cannot stay at a distance.鈥� To be compassionate, you have to get involved and be prepared to 鈥渆ven get dirty, perhaps take risks.鈥�

The Samaritan is an example of compassion because he physically takes care of the wounded man. The 杏MAP导航 underlined that truly helping someone 鈥渕eans being willing to feel the weight of another鈥檚 pain.鈥� He pointed out that only when we recognize that we ourselves are the wounded man can we truly feel compassion.