FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, JULY 13, 2025

MASS READINGS

Gospel Luke 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"

He said in reply, "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."

He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.

They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.

A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.

He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.

Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him.

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.'

Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"

He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."

Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

REFLECTION

 "And who is my neighbor?"

In the last week or so, we've been having very heavy rains and floods here in Texas, specially in central Texas. The area near the Guadalupe River has been on the news because of a specially devastating flood that caused a campsite full of little girls to be swept by the currents. Many of these girls are still missing, and some bodies have been recovered.

There are many other victims, 120 confirmed dead, and at least 170 still unaccounted for. This is a terrible tragedy. Parents, grandparents and other relatives are grieving the loss of many small girls aged between 8-9 years old. They and their camp counselors were taken by the rising waters in the middle of the night without any warning.

What makes it worst is seeing and hearing social media "influencers" say that they deserved to die because all the victims were affluent white people. One of them was even a now former employee of the city of Houston. The attacks towards the victims and their parents were so virulent that even mayor Whitmire of Houston gave an apologetic statement in the media**.

The dilemma is thinking on what to do. People who always respond negatively to a post are called "trolls". There are also people that create shock content and never have anything good to say about anybody. But when it comes to someone that is clearly trying to hurt those who are mourning what should we do?

In today's society, we might not face physical violence that often. But the fear of being 'cancelled', might drive many of us to look the other way instead of standing for what is right especially in front of injustices. We believe it is someone else's job to right what is wrong. Like the Priest and the Levite of the story we look the other way by keeping silent.

It is a tricky balance to denounce injustices and not having an accusatory attitude. The accuser is one of the names of the devil, and it really is very easy to point fingers and tell those "haters" that they are in the wrong.

Fraternal correction is a very tricky thing, and yet, is also our duty. It is one of the spiritual works of mercy: admonish the sinner. It is an act of love towards our neighbor, not one of self-righteousness.

How can I do that when I myself am a sinner? We do this because we don't want the person to die in their sin and we will be held responsible for it (Ez 33:8-9)

Saint Thomas Aquinas said:

"This is fraternal correction properly so called, which is directed to the amendment of the sinner. Now to do away with anyone’s evil is the same as to procure his good: and to procure a person’s good is an act of charity, whereby we wish and do our friend well."

Jesus gives us instructions on how to do fraternal correction (Mt 18:15-17), first in private, one to one, face to face with the person. If they refuse, then with a couple of witnesses. And if they continue on their ways in front of the church. Again, it is not because we are so good, but if we don't help them we will keep accumulating resentment towards them and really start thinking ourselves better than anybody else.

And what happens when we receive correction? Do I feel sad and deeply offended and never talk to that person again? Or do I accept these words, meditate on them and make changes in my life?

We really need to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for the right time to say something, and for the right words. Again, we do this because we want everybody to be saved, to go to Heaven, and not because we are better than them. And we need to pray for humility to accept fraternal corrections that will help us amend our way and get back in track towards God.

God bless y'all!

** https://whnt.com/news/houston-mayor-calls-out-former-city-employee-for-deeply-inappropriate-tiktok-posts-about-camp-mystic-flood-victims/