HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

Jul 13, 2025

334

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (30:10-14)

Moses said to the people: "If only you would heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul.

"For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, "Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?" Nor is it across the sea that you should say, "Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?" No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out."

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37)

(R) Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

I pray to you, O Lord, for the time of your favor, O God! In your great kindness answer me with your constant help. Answer me, O Lord, for bounteous is your kindness: in your great mercy turn toward me. (R)

I am afflicted and in pain; let your saving help, O God, protect me. I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving. (R)

"See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! For the Lord hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not." (R)

For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. The descendants of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall inhabit it. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians (1:15-20)

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (10:25-37)

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in 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." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, "Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back." Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

In today's gospel, an expert in Jewish law or scriptures, also known as the Law of Moses, tests Jesus by asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds to the lawyer's question with a question. In fact, Jesus often answered questions with questions rather than providing a direct answer so as to make people think or to lead people to a deeper reflection and personal discovery.

In the story, Jesus asks the lawyer what the Law says about eternal life pointing him to what's already revealed. The lawyer responds by quoting a verse from the Book of Deuteronomy (6:5), often recited by Jews: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength." The lawyer then recalls another verse from the Book of Leviticus (19:18): "Love your neighbour as yourself." Jesus agrees with the lawyer's answer and says to him, "Do this, and you will live" meaning if he carefully observes and obeys these commandments, he will have eternal life. Referring to the accessibility of God's commandments and its positive outcomes Moses, too, in today's first reading (Deuteronomy 30:10-14) reminds us that God's law is not distant or hidden, not in the heavens or across the sea but "very near to the people, in your mouth and in your heart."

The lawyer then, wanting to justify himself, asks Jesus to define "who is my neighbour?" The lawyer, like others, perhaps understood "neighbour" as someone who lives nearby, within the same community or circle of people, and is often in close physical proximity or interaction with them. But Jesus expands the definition of "neighbour" to include all people, regardless of race, language, religion or socioeconomic background, and He uses a parable to illustrate this.

In the parable, a traveller is robbed, beaten and left half dead. Three persons - a Jewish priest, a Levite and a Samaritan - come across the wounded man but only one stops to save him while the other two - choose to ignore him. Now, priests in Jewish tradition were descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses and the first High priest designated by God, and Levites were descendants of the Tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Isarel. In the time of Jesus, priests were primarily responsible for leading worship and offering sacrifices at the Temple, while Levites assisted them in various tasks, including preparing sacrifices, maintaining the Temple, singing songs, playing music and so on. The roles of Jewish priests and Levites can be compared to modern-day clergy, altar servers, lectors, ushers, choir members and so on.

Being highly respected spiritual and religious figures within the Jewish society, they were expected to set examples of righteous behaviour. But they failed to do so by neglecting the injured man. One possible reason is that they may have believed that touching the injured man, who appeared to be dead or near death, would make them ritually unclean and prevent them from performing their duties in the Temple. Another reason could be that they might have been concerned about their own safety, fearing that the robbers might still be present or that it was a trap. But then, a Samaritan, from a group traditionally despised by Jews because of their mixed-race origins, sees the injured man and is moved with compassion to help. He tends to the man's wounds, takes him to an inn, and ensures his care.

At the end of the parable, Jesus reverses the question to the lawyer, and asks him: "Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbour to the injured man?" During the time of Jesus, the animosity between Jews and Samaritans was such that even the term "Samaritan" was avoided, especially in contexts where a positive portrayal was intended. So, the lawyer, without naming the Samaritan, responds by saying "the one who showed mercy is the neighbour." Jesus then tells the lawyer to "go and do likewise," emphasizing the importance of showing compassion and mercy to everyone, regardless of their background, circumstances or social status.

What is the message for us? Through this parable, Jesus teaches us two things.

To inherit eternal life, meaning to experience a quality of life, characterized by love, joy, peace, and a deep sense of fulfilment, that begins now through a relationship with God, and continues forever after death, we must love God completely and perfectly, every moment, with all of our mind, emotions, and will, and we must love our neighbour as ourselves, meaning we must treat others with the same care, respect, and kindness that we would want for ourselves.
Our concern should not be "who is my neighbour?" but "to whom can I be a neighbour?" We, Christians, should not worry about who our neighbour is, or whether someone deserves to be our neighbour, but rather we can and should ourselves become neighbours to people from all walks of life - anyone who is in need, and those from distant countries and different cultures.

Seafarers are one of the groups of people who have historically required and continue to need significant attention, care, and love from the rest of the world. Every year our Church invites us to observe the second Sunday of July, that is today, as Sea Sunday. This is a day for us to remember seafarers in our prayer and to give thanks to them for connecting nations and facilitating the movement of goods and commodities even to the remotest parts of the world. As of now, there are around 1.9 million seafarers working on cruise and cargo vessels around the world. They are one of the largest and most crucial work forces globally, most of whom are Filipino nationals, followed by nationals from China, India, Russia, Indonesia, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, Myanmar, Vietnam and other countries. Their contributions to international trade, world economy and our daily lives are vital, but often overlooked.

Seafarers face many challenges though some of these are being addressed through initiatives in recent years. The challenges facing seafarers are similar, in many ways, to that of migrant workers. However, the nature of work at sea is different from that of employment ashore. They face many unpredictable natural forces, including harsh weather conditions, rough seas, dangerous situations and serious threats to life and safety due to war, military conflict, piracy, armed robbery, fires, explosions, collisions, groundings, medical needs, or falling overboard. They often work long hours, often for months at a time, far from their homes and families.

This demanding lifestyle leads to fatigue, isolation, depression, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, burnout and other mental health challenges. One of the major challenges faced by seafarers is the feeling of being a stranger. They are strangers wherever they go. When they arrive in a port, they are strangers in a foreign land. They face communication difficulties when interacting with locals due to language barriers and cultural differences. Some seafarers even feel like strangers in their own homes due to long periods of separation from family and friends.

Recognizing their need for support from land, many Christian groups, among them Apostleship of the Sea (AOS)/Stella Maris, established by the Catholic Church in the 1920s, have long been providing physical, social and spiritual services to seafarers and their families worldwide, regardless of their background, nationality, or religious beliefs. Port chaplains and volunteers pay regular ship visits, arrange pick-up services to seafarers, offering transportation to places of worship, city centres for shopping or leisure and back to the port, providing practical, emotional, and spiritual support, if they are ill or detained on land. Here in Hong Kong, since the 1930s the Stella Maris Chaplaincy and Saint Peter's Church community carry out the same tasks on behalf of the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong.

While the parable does not explicitly mention seafarers, it serves as both a reminder and an invitation to extend kindness and help to strangers, the vulnerable, and the suffering, which can certainly include those who work at sea. Let us extend a warm welcome to all visiting seafarers and provide all possible help and support to them. Let us challenge ourselves to be neighbours to those in need, regardless of differences, just as the Samaritan did. Let us demonstrate our true love for neighbours through selfless acts of mercy and help without expecting anything in return, just as Jesus teaches us, "Go and do the same."

Let us also, on this Sea Sunday, pray for all seafarers and fishers that in all times of danger to body and soul, in temptation and loneliness, in sorrow and anxiety for loved ones at home, in depression and despair, in sickness and pain and, in the hour of death, they may find strength in Jesus and in His promises.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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