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30th Sunday of the year |
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| Background:
One explanation of this wonderful story
emphasizes the virtue of the Samaritan but the surprise of the injured man. In the
kingdom of God’s wonder there is always room for surprise. Jesus is less interested
in our imitating the Samaritan then in show us that the Samaritan is God for the injured
man. When we imitating the Samaritan we are imitating God. |
read the padread the padre |
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Story: Once
a parish had a new pastor. He was a very hard working, zealous man. He went to all the
wakes, visited all the hospitals, appeared at every wedding reception, consoled all the
mourners, preached a wonderful sermon, was pleasant to all the children, even enjoy
TEENAGERS! One day some people came to him and said we need more classrooms in our school.
They cost a lot of money, the pastor said. We’ll raise the money they replied. All we
want from the parish is your moral support. Grand said the pastor. The lay people worked
hard and raised tons of money, enough so that the school would be paid for the day it was
dedicated. But then as construction started, some of the people in the parish became
bitterly opposed to the school extension. It cost too much, new rooms weren’t really
needed, the money should be given to poor parishes, half the money should be spent on
religious education, they hadn’t been consulted. The parish split wide open on the
issue. Arguments raged after Mass every Sunday. The pastor tried to keep both sides happy
(which is what pastors are for), but the pro-school people said that he was not supporting
them strongly enough and the anti-school people said that he had sold out to the
pro-school people. Finally the poor man collapsed physically because of the strain of the
conflict. While in the hospital he resigned as pastor. Everyone was happy to see him go. |
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