August 28
"And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered right; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
-1 Luke 10:25-37
Today's Reflection:
First, let us hope we can catch ourselves in midstream and make an apology on the spot. This may not be possible in the midst of traffic, but it certainly is in most other situations. If we lack the wherewithal to ask forgiveness immediately, then we should take the incident into our prayer time and spiritually ask for pardon. Our repentance can be shown by going out of our way to be kind to individuals we meet who are in similar capacities, asking our Lord to apply the grace of our charitable action to the person with whom we are currently interacting and to the person we had offended. Of course, we should offer a prayer on behalf of the individual we slighted--a Hail Mary, a Glory Be, or an Our Father may be the words we use to ask him for forgiveness. In addition, we should examine ourselves regularly to see if our casual behavior speaks to our Christian faith. The way we conduct our life and our daily example should be a light leading others to Jesus Christ.
Quote and Reflection taken from:
Experience Grace in Abundance: Ten Strategies for Your Spiritual Life
by Johnnette S. Benkovic
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