Today, the Gospel presents one of the most powerful parables of Jesus: The Parable of the Good Samaritan. It begins with a question from a scholar of the Law: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds not just with theory but with a story that changes the heart. As we reflect on this, let us allow three verbs to guide our meditation and lead us toward deeper discipleship: See, Draw Near, and Act.

1. SEE – “A man was going down... they saw him and passed by.”

The priest and the Levite saw the wounded man — but they saw only a burden, a disruption, maybe even a risk to their purity or safety. Their seeing remained on the surface. Their vision was clouded by fear, ritual, and perhaps indifference. They saw with their eyes, but not with their hearts. But the Samaritan also saw. And his seeing was different. “He was moved with compassion.” Compassion (from a latin word com means "with, together" and pati means "to suffer"—to suffer with). Hence, the Samaritan did not just notice the man; he perceived his pain, he recognized his humanity, and he allowed his heart to be moved with compassion.

This teaches us that true Christian vision begins not in the eyes, but in the heart. How many people do we "see" every day, yet fail to truly notice? The poor, the lonely, the wounded in spirit? To “see” as Christ teaches is to allow our gaze to become merciful, to recognize Christ in the other. And how often in our lives do we fail to see? We shield our eyes — not because we are cruel, but because we are busy, afraid, or simply numb.

2. DRAW NEAR – “But a Samaritan… came near him.”

Seeing leads to the next step: approaching. The priest and Levite may have had justifications for keeping their distance — religious rules, safety, convenience. But the Samaritan crosses boundaries — of race, religion, and risk. Let us remember that in the time of Jesus, Jews and Samaritans were enemies. Centuries of hatred, religious conflict, and cultural division stood between them. Yet this Samaritan steps into the sacred space of compassion, breaking barriers of race, religion, and ritual purity.

He does what Jesus always does: Jesus comes close to the wounded. This is the mystery of the Incarnation — God drawing near to our wounded humanity in Christ.

Here is “the scandal” of mercy: It transcends boundaries. It makes the stranger a brother. It dares to come close. God Himself, in Jesus Christ, drew near to our wounded world. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14). God did not love us from afar — He crossed the road of heaven, entered our suffering,

We are called to do the same. In a world that prefers to isolate, divide, and label, the Christian is the one who crosses the road to be near the suffering. Drawing near means listening, accompanying, even if we don't have immediate solutions. To be a neighbor is not about geography, but proximity of the heart.

3. ACT – “He bandaged his wounds... brought him to an inn... took care of him.”

The Samaritan’s compassion moves from emotion to concrete action. Compassion cannot remain a feeling; it must become a deed. The Samaritan pours oil and wine — symbols of healing and sacrament. He lifts the man, takes him to an inn, and pays the cost. He does not merely feel sorry — he invests his time, resources, and himself in the healing of the man.  He loves not just with sentiment but with sacrificial action. This is what St. James meant: “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26)

Jesus ends the parable by saying: “Go and do likewise.” This is the command to all Christians. Love is not abstract. It must be embodied — in acts of mercy, in forgiving those who hurt us, in serving the poor, in being available to the suffering. Here lies the core of Catholic moral teaching: Love is not just a sentiment; it is a decision expressed in action. 

Dear brothers and sister, this parable is not just a moral lesson — it is a revelation of Christ Himself. Jesus is the true Good Samaritan. We are the wounded one on the side of the road, left half-dead by sin. Others may pass us by, but Jesus sees us, draws near, and acts. He binds our wounds, brings us to the safety of the Church, and pays the price for our healing with His own Blood. So when Jesus says, “Go and do likewise,” He is inviting us to imitate His own mercy, to become “Samaritans” in a world so often divided by indifference.