Samaritans

HOMILY NOTES

FR. TERRY RYAN, CSP

GOOD SAMARITAN, LUKE 10: 25-37

JULY 14, 2019

When a person walks into an AA meeting for the first time, that person is rather naked with their truth, “I am an alcoholic.”  Some of them have lost quite a bit too, including family, job, home, money and self-respect.  No one seems to want to be with them.  Their previous social status, their present ethnicity, sexual orientation, skin color, makes no difference.  Everyone in the room is the same, alcoholic.  This new person is welcomed by the people in the room.  The AAs not only accept and welcome you but they want to help you with your wounds.  Their attention and no questions asked attitude is like the Samaritan with his healing oil and wine.  AA meetings are filled with good samaritan type people.  The Good Samaritan in the Gospel binds up the naked victim’s wounds and cares for him.  The two coins the Samaritan gives the innkeeper are the 12 steps and the 12 traditions.  Once the alcoholic, like the robbed victim, recovers enough, he has the chance to review his life and see how he ended up in a ditch.  Did he have any part in this happening to him?  

So many of us often present ourselves as hidden behind our wardrobe, career, job, home, car, stuff.  When someone asks, “How are you?” we respond, “I’m OK,” when in fact we are not.  All of us want someone to love us, care about us, listen to us, when we are our naked self with no outer disguise.  Think of the bride who stands naked before her spouse and wonders if she will be loved as her naked self, not only physically, but in gradually revealing her secrets/raw feelings to her spouse.  

Will the robbery victim in the Gospel recover and make changes in his life so this does not happen again?  Who knows.  The Samaritan is not  responsible for the results.  He is responsible for his non-judgmental act of compassion and mercy.  God may be invisible, but we are not allowed to be invisible to one another.  We are a society of individuals, whereas AA is tribal.  In the tribe, misery attracts mercy.  Perfection comes through weakness.  When you know you need help you are on the right path.  We can each be that help to someone.  Be the Good Samaritan.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.