One in Christ / Daniel Conway
The challenges of the Good Samaritan story are still with us today
(En Espanol)
The apostolic exhortation “Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”) was initiated by Pope Francis before his death last April. His successor, Pope Leo XIV, picked up the writing where the late pope left off, adding some of his own ideas. He promulgated the completed document on Oct. 4, the memorial of St. Francis of Assisi.
“Dilexi Te” is a multi-layered reflection on the mystery of God’s love as it is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God.
Like Pope Francis in his encyclical “Fratelli Tutti,” the new apostolic exhortation on love for the poor uses the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37) to illustrate what genuine love looks like.
According to Pope Leo:
The dominant culture at the beginning of this millennium would have us abandon the poor to their fate and consider them unworthy of attention, much less our respect. Pope Francis, in his encyclical “Fratelli Tutti,” challenged us to reflect on the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37), which presents the different reactions of those confronted by the sight of a wounded man lying on the road. Only the Good Samaritan stops and cares for him. (“Dilexi Te,” #105)
We all know the story, but its power transcends its familiarity. The crass indifference of the two respectable men who pass by “on the other side” of the road without any offer of assistance is scandalous, but it is really not uncommon either in Jesus’ time or our own.
As sophisticated and enlightened as we think we are today, we are actually no closer to the truth of this powerful story. Only the despised stranger, a traveler from Samaria, has the courage and compassion to express his convictions concretely by caring for the wounded man and offering his own money for a stranger’s continuing care.
Leo XIV, echoing Pope Francis, asks each of us: “Which of these persons do you identify with? This question, blunt as it is, is direct and incisive. Which of these characters do you resemble?” (#105)
In fact, there is something of each of the parable’s main characters in all of us. We can identify with the wounded man at various moments in our lives, but we can also see ourselves in the indifference (the hardness of heart) shown by the two passersby. And hopefully there is something of the Samaritan’s kindness and generosity in each of us.
As Pope Leo tells us in “Dilexi Te”:
We need to acknowledge that we are constantly tempted to ignore others, especially the weak. Let us admit that, for all the progress we have made, we are still “illiterate” when it comes to accompanying, caring for and supporting the most frail and vulnerable members of our developed societies. We have become accustomed to looking the other way, passing by, and ignoring situations until they affect us directly. (#105)
The two popes responsible for this apostolic exhortation are exercising the gift of prophecy here. They are challenging us to step outside our comfort zones and demonstrate a degree of care and compassion for others—especially those who are poor and vulnerable—that is extraordinary and, quite literally, Christ-like.
As we read in “Dilexi Te”:
It is important for us to realize that the story of the Good Samaritan remains timely even today. “If I encounter a person sleeping outdoors on a cold night, I can view him or her as an annoyance, an idler, an obstacle in my path, a troubling sight, a problem for politicians to sort out, or even a piece of refuse cluttering a public space. Or I can respond with faith and charity, and see in this person a human being with a dignity identical to my own, a creature infinitely loved by the Father, an image of God, a brother or sister redeemed by Jesus Christ. That is what it is to be a Christian!” (#106)
This is the message or “moral” of the parable of the Good Samaritan: Holiness cannot be understood apart from a lively recognition of the dignity of each human being. Love is more than a concept or a good feeling. It is action.
No matter how many times we hear this story, and no matter which character we happen to identify with, the fact remains that the love of Christ can be challenging and uncomfortable.
(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †