LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR

Ordinary Time: Week 27 Readings I - Jonah. 1: 1-17; 2: 1, 10 II - Lk. 10: 25-37 LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR In today’s Gospel passage Jesus prescribes only two conditions to inherit eternal life: one, to love God above all and two, to love the neighbour. From the parable of the Good Samaritan we infer that every fellow being in need of our help is our neighbour. The priest and the Levite who served the Lord, failed to serve the bleeding man who was in dire need of their help. The Samaritan, an outcast, was moved with compassion and helped him in saving his life. Jesus gives the Samaritan as model for them to imitate in their love for their neighbour. We flock to churches, take up pilgrimage and attend retreats to experience God and to reciprocate our love for God often failing to recognise his residence in every human persons as well. Every person is a temple of God. In the suffering of every person, God suffers; in the rejection of every person, God is rejected and in the neglect of every fellow being, God is neglected. Love of God and love of neighbour can never be separated, they are intertwined. Love of God implies love of neighbour and vice versa. Love God in neighbour and inherit the eternal reward.