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 …” (Luke 10:30)
Origen of Alexandria offers the following insight on this parable from today's Gospel:
“One of the elders wanted to interpret the parable as follows. The man who was going down is Adam. Jerusalem is paradise, and Jericho is the world. The robbers are hostile powers. The priest is the law, the Levite is the prophets, and the Samaritan is Christ. The wounds are disobedience. The beast is the Lord’s body. The pandochium (that is, the stable), which accepts all who wish to enter, is the church. The two denarii mean the Father and the Son. The manager of the stable is the head of the church, to whom its care has been entrusted. The fact that the Samaritan promises he will return represents the Savior’s second coming … The Samaritan, “who took pity on the man who had fallen among thieves,” is truly a “guardian,” and a closer neighbor than the Law and the Prophets. He showed that he was the man’s neighbor more by deed than by word. According to the passage that says, “Be imitators of me, as I too am of Christ,” it is possible for us to imitate Christ and to pity those who “have fallen among thieves.” We can go to them, bind their wounds, pour in oil and wine, put them on our own animals, and bear their burdens. The Son of God encourages us to do things like this. He is speaking not so much to the teacher of the law as to us and to everyone when he says, “Go and do likewise.” If we do, we will receive eternal life in Christ Jesus, to whom is glory and power for ages of ages. Amen. (Homilies on the Gospel of Luke, 34)”
Today is the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Catholic News Agency provides a good summary of the history of this memorial.
One might also consider Blessed John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter On the Rosary of the Virgin Mary.
One might also consider Blessed John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter On the Rosary of the Virgin Mary.
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
Your grace into our hearts,
that we, to whom the
Incarnation of Christ you Son
was made known by the message of an Angel,
may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
by his Passion and Cross be brought
to the glory of his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Your grace into our hearts,
that we, to whom the
Incarnation of Christ you Son
was made known by the message of an Angel,
may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
by his Passion and Cross be brought
to the glory of his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Glory to You Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen!
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen!
