DON’T  LIMIT  THE IMPLICATIONS 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 27 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Don’t Limit the Implications.”

Today’s gospel is Luke 10: 25-37. It’s the Good Samaritan Story.

We’ve heard the story 100 times - but too many times we limit the implications of the story to just someone who is beaten up or laying there on the sidewalk.

But sometimes the story creeps - slips out - jumps from just that person - to someone in a church or a mall parking lot - who is stuck with a flat tire or their car won’t start and they ask us if we have jumpers and could we give them a jump.

And many times we're like Jonah in today's first reading - Jonah 1:1 to 2:2, 11 - and we head the other way when we feel the call to help someone.

KIDS RETREATS

I’ve given hundreds of high school retreats - and kids' days of retreat - and I am forever grateful for the Good Samaritan story.

Little kids get it when you tell them to break up into small groups and recreate the Good Samaritan story taking place in their lives. You tell them to play act the story - having some kids as the robbers and some kid as the victim - and three kids as the Samaritan, the priest  and the Levite - or use your imagination and have the story in some situation at home or at school or when you're playing.

I love to sit there and see the variations.  I’ve see kids asking other kids for some money for a soda machine - after they lost their wallet or forgot their money. I’ve seen kids sitting in a chair as if it's an imaginary bathroom - only to discover there is no paper - and they call out to their brothers and sisters to simply get some toilet paper. Then two say, “NO!” but the least expected kid says, “I’ll get a roll for you.”

In a High School retreat for our kids, the Good Samaritan was Buckwheat - the guy who goes around Annapolis - always walking on the street and never on the sidewalk - swinging his arms with plastic bags - and they made him the one who stops to help someone who was beaten up and left penniless.

I’ve notice boys love to take the part of the robbers play acting the beating up some other kid.

US

The implications is that the story is for everyday and everyday situations - to step up and step out to help a person who is stuck.

When I had the job of Novice Master in training future Redemptorists,  I often said, “If someone asks you for help - that’s a compliment - because haven’t we all said of someone, “You can’t ask him!”  “You can’t ask her!”?

You only ask those you know will help you.

CONCLUSION: BLESSED FRANCIS SEELOS

The title of my homily is, “Don’t Limit the Implications.”

Today is the feast of Blessed Francis Seelos who died visiting folks with Yellow Fever in New Orleans. What a way to die: helping other human beings?

That’s the way he spent his life - helping folks in Annapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, etc. etc. etc.

He certainly got the message on not only how to do life - but how to inherit eternal life as the scholar of the Law in today’s gospel asked Jesus the secret today.

Answer: be the Good Samaritan.