Father Rick’s two-minute Homily for Wednesday, 31st Week in Ordinary Time    

Luke 14: 25-33 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110525.cfm   

                      Wow! What a Huge Step for Us, But a Small Step for Jesus.

Anything can lose its meaning when we hear it so often. “Love your neighbor” is one such saying. It can quickly lose its impact on us. 

We can’t help but notice how Pope Francis repeatedly reminded us to love, especially our neighbors who go unnoticed. Let us be the ones who notice. God, in His wonderful providence, places such people—without names or faces—in our path every day, just as He placed Lazarus in the path of the rich man, Dives. 

So, we must first notice the person. It is one thing to notice and perform acts of charity for others, like feeding or clothing them, but are these people truly our neighbors? Do I love them as I love myself? 

No, this kind of love takes time and requires a dedicated effort on our part to listen to that person until they are no longer “no-name.” Something in us changes when we know their name, recognize their face, and hear their voice, which strikes a beat in our hearts. 

Do you see what Jesus is getting at when he says to hate our family? It is not hate-filled with anger. He is telling us that our work is far from done once we meet our family’s responsibilities. 

We need to get out onto the highways and byways and befriend those strangers we didn’t recognize because we weren’t paying attention. Walking with them through their struggles transforms them from strangers into neighbors.

Then, I am starting to love my neighbor as myself, even a little. It is incredible that once we befriend a stranger, it becomes much easier to love them. Loving them becomes exciting. The hardest part is taking the first step out of myself and into their world.

Gospel Challenge:
As Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, this requires thoughtful planning. We must consider our responsibilities to our family, personal needs, and the stranger whose face we do not recognize.

Love Your Neighbor!

Father Rick Pilger, I C.
www.bscchurch.com