August 28, 2024
Aldrine G. Aquno, fmgs and John Lorenz R. Rosales, MS Ferdinand Dagmang, Ph.D
CICM Maryhill School of Theology Christian Sexual Ethics
General Theology Program III Professor
Learning Output 2
Once there was hardworking father who had a lot of job: “Magtataho sa umaga, maglalako ng donut sa
hapon at Magbabalot sa gabi”. He had a not much established family with a wife caring for the two children
and 4th year college daughter who almost finished her degree. It was only on Sundays, that the busy father
ate meal together with his family. The good father knew from his past experiences that his hard work had
always paid off but still finances could not sustain the piled expenses a month. Now, sometimes the hard-
working father had to even overwork on Sundays to entertain the need of the family. As the years passed
by, the father eventually, looked and reminisced his hardwork for his family. He actually produced
professional children. The eldest daughter said to his father, “Tay, pinapaalala mo samin, Magtiyaga and
manalig Kay Lord…Salamat.” The father replied, “Alam mo Nak, Ako’y instrumento lang ng
Diyos,panatilihin mong maging Mabuti at ibalik yang kabutihan sa mag tao. Mas magiging masaya ako
kung maging instrumento ka din ng kabutihan ng Diyos.”
The lesson from this story is clear: difficulties are not hindrances to being good people. We should never
allow life’s challenges to harden our hearts or turn us away from what is right. Our work and responsibilities
must never detach us from those we love, nor should they stop us from showing care and concern for others.
This message aligns perfectly with today’s Gospel, which tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In this
parable, it was not the Priest or the Levite who saved the wounded Jew, but a Samaritan someone considered
an enemy. Despite the deep-seated enmity between Jews and Samaritans, the Samaritan was the one who
stopped, showed compassion, and saved the man’s life. This unexpected act of kindness teaches us the true
meaning of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is not just a distant, afterlife reality. It is not merely
an interior spiritual state or a form of worldly prosperity. The Kingdom of God is present here and now,
manifested through our actions. Jesus calls us to help others without reservation, to be doers of the Word,
not just hearers. Like the hardworking father in our story, we are called to be instruments of God’s goodness,
extending love and compassion to those around us, even when it is inconvenient or costly.
The parable challenges us to reflect on our own lives. Are we like the Priest and the Levite, too busy, too
self-absorbed, or too fearful to help those in need? Or are we like the Good Samaritan, willing to cross
boundaries and offer genuine compassion, even when it comes at a personal cost? We are called to be like
a stained-glass window, allowing the light of Jesus to shine through us, illuminating the lives of others. Our
communities, especially our Basic Ecclesial Communities, should reflect the radical compassion and justice
of the Kingdom of God. These communities must empower the poor, not just as recipients of aid but as
active participants in the life of the Church.
Let us commit ourselves to being living examples of the Kingdom of God. Let us strive to create spaces
where the poor are truly valued, where resources are shared, and where the Good News of the Reign of God
is not just preached but lived. Like the Good Samaritan, may we cross boundaries, take risks, and pour out
our lives in service to others, especially the most vulnerable among us. This is the true essence of the
Kingdom of God—a kingdom not of wealth and power, but of love, justice, and peace. Amen.
