Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Monday, October 5, 2026

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

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a scholar of the law who asks Him, “And who is my neighbor?”. What makes this story even more moving is the context behind it. The priest and the Levite may have been concerned about becoming ritually unclean if they came into contact with the injured man, which could temporarily prevent them from participating in Temple worship. Perhaps they believed they were doing the right thing by following the religious laws. However, in doing so, they overlooked the person right in front of them who was in desperate need of help. Ironically, the Samaritan, someone who would have been viewed as an outsider by many Jews at the time, was the one who showed mercy.

I think this is a powerful reminder that mercy knows no borders and must extend beyond our comfort, our differences, and our own interests. What happens when showing mercy inconveniences us? When it puts us in a difficult position or ruffles feathers? When it becomes uncomfortable? Would we still do it, would we still show mercy? Is the cost too high? Unfortunately, there is a reason the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished” exists. But if we allow the fear or temporary discomfort to prevent us from doing the right thing then we become like the priest and Levite passing the dying man without stopping, blind to their neighbor. We must be careful not to delude ourselves, like the priest and Levite, into believing our actions are righteous or that the ends justify the means when those actions lack mercy. This kind of thinking is what allows injustices to go unchecked, misconducts to be swept under the rug, and evil to continue because people are unwilling to speak out when doing so comes at a cost. True mercy requires more than good intentions; it requires action, even when that action is difficult. So who is our neighbor, and will we be willing to recognize them when mercy asks something of us?