15th Sunday Ordinary Time

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:10-14, Colossians 1:15-20, Luke 10:25-37

The first reading today, from the Book of Deuteronomy, tells us that the Lord has already put these kinds of commands in our hearts. Why are we so hard-hearted? Why is it that we do not want to help others and would even willingly let some people suffer rather than act to help them? Some of our response comes from cultural conditioning, some of our response comes from the choices we have already made in our lives and some of it comes from the evil one.

Perhaps we might even find at times that we are open to helping most others. The challenge from the Lord Jesus is to help all others when they are suffering or in need. We need to hear that challenge and that invitation very strongly in our lives: love your neighbor. Who is my neighbor? The one that I treat with mercy.

Can my heart change? God is always willing to work miracles for us, but we must ask for our hearts to change. We must keep on asking until our hearts do change. We cannot justify ourselves by saying that we prayed to God and God did not answer! Rather, we must keep praying until God answers us.

The Letter to the Colossians reminds us that in Jesus all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven. Only in Jesus will we be able to love all others and to give our lives completely for the love of others. This is not a simple humanitarian task, but the whole meaning of our life.

So, we come back to the question of the scholar of the law: Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Do I want eternal life? Do I even believe in eternal life? If I believe in eternal life and want to live that life, then I must love all others. Today is the time to love and to fight against my lack of love. Lord, help us love.

Fr. Terry