The parable of the Good Samaritan indicates to us "what should be the relationship of each one of us with our neighbor who suffers. We are not allowed to pass by, indifferently, but we must stand beside him. A Good Samaritan is every man who stands by the suffering of another man of any kind". God places our neighbor with his needs and shortcomings on the path of life, and love does what the hour and the moment demand. These are not always heroic and difficult acts; on the contrary, the Lord often asks us for a smile, a word of encouragement, good advice, knowing how to remain silent in the face of an annoying or impertinent word, visiting a friend who is ill or a bit lonely, exercising the usual signs of politeness, such as greeting, thanking.... There are professions," Pope John Paul II pointed out, "which are a continuous work of mercy, as in the case of the doctor or the nurse.... But any profession demands attentive, compassionate and respectful treatment of the people with whom our work brings us into contact. We must train ourselves to see Christ in the people we deal with.
We must approach everyone in their spiritual and material needs, but, because charity is ordered, we must address ourselves in a very particular way to those who are closest to us because God has placed them - brothers and sisters in the faith, family, friends, co-workers... - or because he has willed, through the circumstances of life, that we pass by their side to care for them. "For if a Samaritan was so merciful and humane towards a stranger, who will forgive us if we neglect our brothers in greater evils?" asks St. John Chrysostom. And, after advising us not to inquire why others have not done so - especially if they are wounds of the soul - he says: "Heal him yourself and ask no one to account for his negligence. If you found a gold coin, surely you would not think: why didn't someone else find it? On the contrary, you would run to take it as soon as possible. For you must know that when you find your wounded brother, you have found something that is worth more than treasure: the power to take care of him". Let us not fail to do so.
Hablar con Dios