Who Is My Neighbor?

One day a lawyer stepped out of his mansion, took his limousine with his driver and went to downtown to buy some goodies. As they drove comfortably going back to his place, he saw two men on the side of the road eating grass. Befuddled by what he saw, he pulled over and talked to them. As the driver stopped the car, the lawyer hastily opened the window and yelled, “Hey, why are you guys eating grass?”

“We're penniless,” one of the guys said, “and we have nothing to eat. So we're eating grass to survive.”

The lawyer was appalled. “That's awful!” he said. “C’mon get inside in this limousine and I'll take you to my house so you could eat.”

“That's wonderful sir,” the guy responded, “but I have a wife and three children. I can't leave them empty-handed.”

“Bring them along together with your friend, too!”

The man was dumbfounded and thankful.  The second man motioned and said, “I have a family too, sir, with four children and I can’t leave them disfavored.” “Bring them altogether,” the lawyer said. “My limousine could accommodate them all.”

The men were astounded, and they hurried to fetch their families. “It’s unbelievable,” they told their wives. “We found a compassionate lawyer!”

They returned and all filled up the bulky limousine. The men were copious with acclamation. “I can't believe you're taking this big-hearted  gesture for us!” they said.

“Don’t mention it,” the lawyer responded. “You guys will perfectly enjoy.  We have spacious grassland there!”

The joke may be exaggerated but can be equated in real life wherein human can even be harsher than this.  

For example, when God says, “I am the LORD your God:  you shall not have strange gods before me. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall have no other gods before me,” (Deuteronomy 5:6-21) other religion would revile Catholicism as idolaters because of allegation that the Church breaks this law brought by its images that are perceived by non-Catholics as objects of worship.  I’ve been explaining this on Facebook for a year now but non-Catholics have been very persistent that Catholics worship these images, up to the point of jumping into badmouthing that the Pope and his followers are anti-Christ, rogue, hypocrites and many exasperating adjectives.  See! How harsh human is.

God says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (Deuteronomy 5:11). But with these gestures of assertion regarding doctrine on idolatry despite the extensive explanation and clarification that Catholicism does not worship these images, people are placing God’s name in vain brought by these people who resort to badmouthing than charity while in the course of bringing the good tidings which is unnoticed , as the Scripture says, “You brood of vipers, how can you say good things when you are evil? For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil.” (Matthew 12:34-35)

On the other hand, God says, “Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day.”  It’s appreciative that everyone is conscientious when it comes to heeding to this edict but the Liturgy should not be treated as an occasion for chatting but by being respectful of the holy opportunity that neighbors are there to listen to the homily but not to be distracted by conversing seatmates.  One time when I attended the Liturgy, I could not focus fully on Priest’s sermon because there were these elderly Mother Butler who were conversing at the start of the Gospel reading up to the Offertory.

The more we are concerned about others, the more we're attentive to God's second greatest commandment "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (Matthew 22:39) 

Who are our neighors aside from these circumstances?

The children and adults alike who are cornered by the adversary’s military forces in a fierce war are our neighbors, who need compassion than violent treatment for a reason that they belong to the opponent's side.

The oldwoman who struggles herself to alight the public utility vehicle who needs someone to hold her hand is our neighbor.

On the street, you meet a young girl who screamed for help because of snatching incident, she is our neighbor.

While we're inside the bus on a travel, we have noticed beside the street a man struggling for life because of the hit and run incident. He is our neighbor.

When we feel hungry, we rush to the bakery to eat some bread and while eating a beggar appears asking for a morsel. This vagrant is our neighbor.

Many guiltless have been sentenced in jail who need justice and a visit. They are our neighbors.

Few clinically-ill people have been rejected by the hospitals because of financial incapacity. They are our neighbors.

A lot of people suffers embarrassment which lowers their self-esteem because of gossips. They are our neighbors.

Some terribly struggle because of emotional burden brought by lost loved ones, terrorized family member, financial scarcity, family issues. They are our neighbors.

In any manner, it's not the amount of help that matters but the heart that sacrifices to respond to the one who's in need. A 10-peso/dollar donation of a poor widow is better than a 10-thousand peso/dollar donation of a millionaire. Why? Because the poor widow out of her scarcity could sacrifice to offer in spite of his meager income. But the 10 thousand pesos/dollars of a millionaire is only a surplus of his wealth. The implication is that, we can help our neighbor even we're the poorest of the poor. Others can help through material provision, others through psychological and emotional strength, through spiritual aspect, through prayers. When these are arrayed together, we could bring one soul to smile and appreciate life.

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Him and said, "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 traveller 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 give 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." (Luke 10:25-37)