In the meantime, I had graceful life experiences in many ways. Recently on the last mission in Gangwon Province, I prepared 20 minutes homily with the help of the generous consideration of the parish priest at the Hupyeongdong Catholic Church.
The Gospel message for the 15th Sunday of the year was about the Good Samaritan. So I took the theme of "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).
While preparing the homily, I discovered that the pastoral letter of the Chuncheon Diocese is indeed an active and urgent response to the climate crisis. The seal of the Chuncheon Diocese with the mountains, rivers and seas engraved is really beautiful. It is touching to see all the church members trying to restore the natural environment while living the Words of God with one heart.
The theme of the pastoral letter of the Chuncheon Diocese for 2022 is "Living the Words and the 7-year journey of 'Laudato si.'" The practice tables for environmental recovery and for living the Words contain a commitment to save the earth called "the common house" in accordance with the spirit of integrated ecology. Everybody is shouting, "Let us start now!" for the poor, the aching planet and a sustainable world.
The Words of God are so close to us that we can put them into practice every day, but sometimes their meaning is barely visible to our eyes because our hearts are not wide open but stubborn.
The parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37) tells us the secret of putting God's Words into practice. The secret is to be considerate, generous and dedicated to helping those in need.
"The Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.'" (Luke 10:33-35)
During the 11 a.m. Mass, I asked people: "If the Lord gives the Good Samaritan a reward today, who will it be given to?"
Then, I heard one answer saying, "It's our priest." Truly, the parish priest who is caring, generous, and delicately considerate in many ways is a good witness of communion.
One of the parishioners also gave me a deep impression. She invited us for lunch and shared her own story. She lost her husband in a car accident at the age of 31. Being alone, she had to raise three daughters. At present, working as an environmental sanitation worker, she has witnessed her faith with joy. Whenever given the chance, she is willing to treat others. When she saves some money, she enjoys traveling around. Perhaps because of the many difficulties in her life, she expresses herself very freely and willingly shares what she has for the sake of her neighbors.
Good deeds really come and go. Our earth is still sustainable because there are people who pursue and practice the good of the community like the Good Samaritan.
The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (fsp.pauline.or.kr.) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication.