The Catholic Calendar for Monday, October 4, 2004
Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
St. Francis of Assisi, religious

Scripture from Today's Liturgy of the Word:
Galatians 1:6-12
Psalm 111:1-2,7-10
Luke 10:25-37

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Hoping to justify myself I asked Him, "Lord, who is my neighbor?"

Jesus replied: "the woman in the next office that irritates you constantly, the young man who suffers from AIDS, the man next door with the barking dogs that keep you up all night, your teenage daughter who tests your limits daily, your former business partner who took more than his share out of the business, the old man begging for pocket change downtown, the young single mother who survives only on welfare, your old and sick uncle who wastes away in a nursing home bed without seeing a visitor in weeks...."

"But Lord," I interrupted, "I take care of the poor through my taxes and my parish gives some of my Sunday offering to them. Besides, I find some of these people to be repulsive and I don't have any extra time in my busy schedule to do anything more."

Jesus said, "The Samaritan wasn't too fond of the half-dead Jew he helped either. But remember my teaching: whenever you give water, food, shelter and clothing to the least of my brothers, you do it for me. Now go, ask forgiveness of the Father and treat all with compassion. Love your neighbor as yourself and God above all things and you will possess the kingdom that I have prepared for you for all eternity."

- Don and Laura Claunch

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posted by joachim at 5:16 AM