The theme of the Lenten campaign this year is Peace be with you, with a different weekly subtheme scheduled over five weeks. The theme this week is Love your neighbour. During Lent, parish groups, along with that St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Labour Ministry Centre arrange special charitable services or visits to the elderly to encourage people to pay more attention to vulnerable groups and lend a helping hand to those in need.
Indeed, when it comes to neighbours, we immediately think of the vulnerable people around us as our neighbours. However, the term “neighbour” is not just about acquaintances or families in our city, but also includes people whom we might describe as “foreigners” or other “ethnic groups.”
The gospel has mentioned neighbours several times. A lawyer asked Jesus about the greatest commandments, which leads to the reply: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” [Luke 10:27]. Jesus then tells the parable of the Good Samaritan [Luke 10:29-37] to highlight the true meaning of “neighbour.”
During Jesus’ time, Jews looked down on Samaritans believing them to be impure. However, in the parable, the only person willing to extend a helping hand to the one who fell victim to robbers is the very one that others despised.
When we see parallels to this parable today, do we care for those around us who are like the helpless victim? Those harmed by war, human trafficking, drugs, or the sex industry? Have we looked at these people and taken them seriously? Have we listened to them? When we do charity work and hope to be a neighbour to others, do we do our good deeds sincerely, with compassion and empathy?
Have you noticed that we tend to be more lenient towards strangers, but for some people or groups around us we are more stubborn and calculating? Let’s consider whether we have proactively cared for others within our communities, workplaces, the Church, or even families. Or have we turned a blind eye or ignored them? When conflicts happen among us, negative feelings and anger easily arise. But why not pray instead for the person you hate or dislike, and ask God to bless them?
Pope Francis once said, “Love, after all, can never be just an abstraction. By its very nature, it indicates something concrete: intentions, attitudes, and behaviours that are shown in daily living. [cf. Misericordiae Vultus, 9].
Love for neighbour should not only take the form of assistance, but should also come from the heart. Love is an attitude towards life. Turning our faith into deeds of love and becoming a neighbour to others is the only way to have true peace at heart. SE
