Celebration: Celebration: The Good SamaritanThe Good Samaritan

WHO IS MY WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR ?NEIGHBOUR ?

Biblical Icon: The good Samaritan Biblical Icon: The good Samaritan (Lk 10,29-37(Lk 10,29-37

Comment: Comment: For the past years, the Gospel icon of the Good For the past years, the Gospel icon of the Good Samaritan has traced the journey of many Religious Samaritan has traced the journey of many Religious Congregations that, with a prophetic intuition, have Congregations that, with a prophetic intuition, have courageously faced a new Gospel challenge of charity and courageously faced a new Gospel challenge of charity and solidarity by sharing the destiny of many immigrant women solidarity by sharing the destiny of many immigrant women in search of work and of many others, wounded on our in search of work and of many others, wounded on our streets and enslaved by our system of life. In the last few streets and enslaved by our system of life. In the last few years, thousands of women and minors have fallen in the years, thousands of women and minors have fallen in the hands of the hands of the "brigands""brigands" who who "have stripped them naked""have stripped them naked" of their dignity and of their identity, leaving them of their dignity and of their identity, leaving them "half "half dead".dead". Many Religious Communities, Many Religious Communities, "attentive to the "attentive to the signs of the times",signs of the times", have turned into have turned into "inns""inns" where many where many women have been restored to the joy of living and of being women have been restored to the joy of living and of being "women"."women".

When I needed a sister were you there

1. When I needed a sister

were you there, were you there?When I needed a sister were you there.

Ref. And the creed and the colour, And the name won’t matter, were you there

• I was hungry and thirsty, were you there (x2)

• I was cold, I was naked, were you there (x2)

• When I needed a shelter, were you there (x2)

• When they took me to prison, were you there (x2)

• When I needed a healer, were you there (x2)

• When a needed a sister, were you there (x2)

Reader: "A lawyer wanting to justify himself, said to Reader: "A lawyer wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?”Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?”

All: Lord, the parable of the Good Samaritan is as actual as ever in its context; grant us the wisdom of understanding who our "neighbour" is.

Reader: Reader: Jesus replied, "A man Jesus replied, "A man was once on his way down from was once on his way down from

Jerusalem to Jericho …”Jerusalem to Jericho …”””

The street,The street, speaks to us of a journey speaks to us of a journey towards a final destination; it speaks to towards a final destination; it speaks to

us of meetings and sharing, of friendship us of meetings and sharing, of friendship and solidarity, but reveals also situations and solidarity, but reveals also situations

of uneasiness, of danger and of fearof uneasiness, of danger and of fear;;

All:All: Lord, we thank you for the Lord, we thank you for the encounters of the streets; help us to encounters of the streets; help us to accompany people marginalized accompany people marginalized and to share the same risks;and to share the same risks;

Reader: Reader: “…“…and fell into the hands of robbers, who and fell into the hands of robbers, who took all he had, beat him, and then made off…..”took all he had, beat him, and then made off…..”

The robbers,The robbers, are the traffickers and the exploiters who, are the traffickers and the exploiters who, through cheating and through physical and through cheating and through physical and psychological violence, enslave on the street psychological violence, enslave on the street thousands of women and minors, inexperienced, thousands of women and minors, inexperienced, alone and vulnerable, to make of their body a source alone and vulnerable, to make of their body a source of gain; robbers are also the clients/consumers who of gain; robbers are also the clients/consumers who rob the victims of their dignity, youth and femininity, rob the victims of their dignity, youth and femininity, to turn them into objects of pleasure;to turn them into objects of pleasure;

All:All: Lord, we ask you forgiveness for those Lord, we ask you forgiveness for those who destroy the dignity and sacrality of the who destroy the dignity and sacrality of the life of many human beings for personal life of many human beings for personal interests, using, abusing and buying even interests, using, abusing and buying even the same poverty;the same poverty;

Reader: “… Reader: “… leaving him half dead”.leaving him half dead”.The victim, is the woman The victim, is the woman or the unprotected minor, or the unprotected minor, who along the streets of who along the streets of our cities undergoes our cities undergoes sexual exploitation, sexual exploitation, experiencing the experiencing the humiliation and danger humiliation and danger of violence, of beatings, of violence, of beatings, sickness, unwanted sickness, unwanted pregnancy, risks of pregnancy, risks of accident and, often, accident and, often, death;death;

All:All: Lord, accept the Lord, accept the

suffering of these suffering of these sisters of ours sisters of ours together with the together with the fatigue of re-fatigue of re-building their life building their life for a better future.for a better future.

Reader: “Reader: “Now a priest happened to be travelling Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Livite who came to the place saw him, and passed Livite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side.by on the other side.

The Priest and the Levite The Priest and the Levite mirror the attitude of mirror the attitude of many many ""well thinking"well thinking" people, including Christians, people, including Christians, who who ""see and move beyond"see and move beyond", , to avoid an to avoid an uncomfortable and disturbing reality; instead they uncomfortable and disturbing reality; instead they prefer silence and indifference - which is already a prefer silence and indifference - which is already a complicity-, or mockery and condemnation; they complicity-, or mockery and condemnation; they pretend not to see to avoid assuming responsibility in pretend not to see to avoid assuming responsibility in the fighting against this social uneasiness in its very the fighting against this social uneasiness in its very root; it is suggested to reopen the "root; it is suggested to reopen the " houses of houses of

tolerance" or to create “the red light districts”tolerance" or to create “the red light districts” to to eliminate the street prostitution which offends our eliminate the street prostitution which offends our sensitivity, but there is no pity for the injustices sensitivity, but there is no pity for the injustices suffered by persons who are robbed of their suffered by persons who are robbed of their fundamental human rights.fundamental human rights.

All; Lord, forgive the hypocrisy and the lack of courage of those who are responsible in the government and in the church, who do not intervene and do not denounce firmly the injustice which is being perpetuated against the weak and undefended persons.

Reader: “… But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them”.

The good Samaritan, is a The good Samaritan, is a foreigner", who sees the foreigner", who sees the "person", goes closer to the "person", goes closer to the wretched person and stops; wretched person and stops; bends down with bends down with "compassion" sees the "compassion" sees the wounds, dresses them to wounds, dresses them to soothe the pain; he asks no soothe the pain; he asks no question, does not judge, question, does not judge, does not enquire whose duty does not enquire whose duty is to intervene, but takes care is to intervene, but takes care of him, carries him to a safe of him, carries him to a safe place and entrusts him to one place and entrusts him to one who can take care of him till who can take care of him till a complete healing.a complete healing.

All:All: Lord, we thank you for the work of many Sisters Lord, we thank you for the work of many Sisters and volunteers who, day and night, bend down, with and volunteers who, day and night, bend down, with

competence and compassion, on so many victims to offer competence and compassion, on so many victims to offer them the gift of true and gratuitous love and friendship, them the gift of true and gratuitous love and friendship,

to awaken in them trust and hopeto awaken in them trust and hope..

Reader: “…Then he brought him to the inn, and looked after him. The next day he took out two denarii, and handed them to the innkeeper. Took care of him,

he said and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.'

The inn,The inn, offers a secure offers a secure refuge to the unlucky refuge to the unlucky pilgrim; our sheltering pilgrim; our sheltering communities have communities have become the new "inns" become the new "inns" to welcome, lovingly to welcome, lovingly and gratuitously, women and gratuitously, women almost destroyed by the almost destroyed by the street experience, but street experience, but eager to begin a new life eager to begin a new life of recuperation and of recuperation and healing.healing.

All:All: Lord, turn our Lord, turn our communities into communities into meeting places where meeting places where women can be welcomed women can be welcomed and loved, supported by and loved, supported by our efforts, understood in our efforts, understood in their difficulties, helped their difficulties, helped in seeking once more the in seeking once more the joy of living and of joy of living and of starting all over again, starting all over again, because only because only disinterested and disinterested and gratuitous love can gratuitous love can transform and re-create.transform and re-create.

Reader: Reader: “…Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man “…Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? He said, "The one who showed him who fell into the hands of the robbers? He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, mercy." Jesus said to him,

"Go and do likewise.""Go and do likewise."

Prayer:Prayer: Lord, we thank You for the gift of this Biblical icon Lord, we thank You for the gift of this Biblical icon which, though uncomfortable and demanding, opens us to which, though uncomfortable and demanding, opens us to new horizons and makes us to discover the richness and new horizons and makes us to discover the richness and actuality of our charisms at the service of humanity so actuality of our charisms at the service of humanity so much in need of love, justice, solidarity and consolation. much in need of love, justice, solidarity and consolation. Grant us the courage of letting ourselves be evangelised Grant us the courage of letting ourselves be evangelised by the last ones. Let us discover the joy and the beauty of by the last ones. Let us discover the joy and the beauty of our true identity as consecrated women, to set on new our true identity as consecrated women, to set on new ways of evangelisation through ways of evangelisation through the testimony and the testimony and creativity of charitycreativity of charity that becomes gratuitous gift and a that becomes gratuitous gift and a reflex of your compassion, mercy and predilection for reflex of your compassion, mercy and predilection for those who, though considered as the rubbish of society, those who, though considered as the rubbish of society, are the very people who are the very people who "will precede us in the "will precede us in the kingdom of heaven". Amen! kingdom of heaven". Amen!

ConclusionConclusion In his first encyclical, In his first encyclical, Deus Deus Caritas Est,Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI points four times to the points four times to the significance of the parable of significance of the parable of the Good Samaritan as the the Good Samaritan as the model for holistic care. The model for holistic care. The parable, he writes, parable, he writes, "remains as "remains as a standard which imposes a standard which imposes universal love towards the universal love towards the needy, whoever they may be."needy, whoever they may be." This masterpiece of literature, This masterpiece of literature, he says, sets out he says, sets out "the program "the program of Jesus" for social and of Jesus" for social and personal healing that he himself personal healing that he himself adopted and implementedadopted and implemented.. And And Jesus, the pope says, Jesus, the pope says, calls all calls all his followers to do the same.his followers to do the same.

Song:Song: Whatsoever you do to the least Whatsoever you do to the least

of my sisters, that you do unto of my sisters, that you do unto me.me.

l. When I was hungry you gave l. When I was hungry you gave me to eat. When I was thirsty me to eat. When I was thirsty you gave me to drink. Now you gave me to drink. Now enter into the home of my enter into the home of my Father. Ref. Father. Ref.

2. When I was homeless you 2. When I was homeless you opened your door. When I was opened your door. When I was naked you gave me your coat. naked you gave me your coat. Now enter into the home of my Now enter into the home of my Father. Ref. Father. Ref.

3. When I was weary you 3. When I was weary you helped me find rest. When I helped me find rest. When I was anxious you calmed all my was anxious you calmed all my fears. Now enter into the home fears. Now enter into the home of my Father. Ref.of my Father. Ref.

Jesus Replied:Jesus Replied:“Go, and do the same”“Go, and do the same”

In the year of the jubele In the year of the jubele of Mercyof Mercy

“We too are invited to do

the same»