Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Fr Andy Cuban SVD – Holy Name University, Tagbilaran, Bohol
Monday 1st Week of Lent
Driving along one of the streets of a city in Central Visayas where I was assigned for several years, I could not help but notice the street beggars. They knock on the window of your car, extending their hand with an open palm. Some motorists dismiss them with a knock on the glass, while others give coins or food.
A friend of mine once asked: “If I give something to these beggars, am I truly helping them, or am I simply tolerating their situation?” It is a question that challenges us to reflect on the meaning of Christian charity.
As Christians, we are taught by Jesus to be good Samaritans. In Luke 10:25–37, the parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us that true neighborliness is shown not by words but by compassionate action. The Samaritan did not ask whether helping the wounded man would “enable” him; he simply acted out of mercy.
The Gospel also presents many concrete ways to live this mercy. In Matthew 25:35–36, Jesus says: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to me.” These are not optional acts; they are the very criteria by which we will be judged.
Isaiah 58:6–7 also teaches us what true fasting means: “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free… Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house?” God desires mercy expressed in justice and compassion.
The real essence of being a Christian lies not in the number of times we help people, but in the reason why we help. Do we give out of pity, out of guilt, or out of love? St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:3: “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
Helping is more than an act; it is a silent cry — a cry so loud that it demands human expressions of love. Every beggar’s hand extended to us is an invitation to encounter Christ Himself. As Jesus said in Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Application
- When faced with poverty on the streets, let us not close our hearts. Even small acts of kindness — a coin, a meal, a smile — can be a channel of God’s love.
- Let us go beyond material giving: offer time, compassion, and dignity. Sometimes listening or acknowledging someone’s humanity is the greatest gift.
- Let us remember that charity is not about enabling dependency but about embodying mercy. True Christian charity seeks both immediate relief and long-term justice.
Our call is clear: to be Good Samaritans in a world that often passes by on the other side. The measure of our discipleship is not how much we give, but how much love we put into our giving.
So let us pray: “Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see You in the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the forgotten. Teach us to love not in words alone, but in deeds of mercy. May our acts of kindness be a reflection of Your love, and may we never tire of being Good Samaritans in our daily lives.”
Thank you Fr. Andy Guban, SVD for the inspiring reflection for today. I hope you still remember me as one of your students at the Holy Spirit Academy of Irosin (formerly CHSi). God bless you and the SVD Missionaries around the world! May the Holy Triune God live in our hearts and in the hearts of all people! St. Arnold Janssen, pray for us! ✞🙏💜💐