“We don’t like them because they have a different religion”. This is the religion of those who say that, but they don’t really believe in it..

Published: July 13, 2013 at 11:26pm

Today’s (Sunday) reading from the Gospel according to St Luke (10:25-37):

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.

32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”




39 Comments Comment

  1. Critical says:

    How timely.

  2. Harry Purdie says:

    Was taught that lesson in ‘Sunday school’ in Canada at six years old. Nice memories.

    The harsh world makes that tough to deliver.

    However, your post brings back those innocent days.

    Hopefully, we, and I mean Malta, can rewind, rethink and do the right thing.

  3. Gigi says:

    Certainly perfect timing this time round !

  4. David says:

    The problem is that people of at least one other religion do not often tolerate or discriminate those of other religions while in Europe any discriminationn is outlawed.

    • La Redoute says:

      How pedantic. The point is not religious tolerance, but the intolerance of the religios here.

    • Liberal says:

      David, there is the law to ensure that no one illegally discriminates against anyone else.

      If some countries do not have such laws, or worse themselves discriminate, I don’t believe we should emulate them.

  5. ACD says:

    I think Leviticus is more their style.

  6. What? says:

    Incidentally without knowing to-day’s gospel I mentioned that we should always act like good Samaritans as Jesus(GOD) has taught us.
    Those who in favour of push backs either are not good Christians or very ignorant OR do not care about the international laws.

    • Josette says:

      They are Christians of superstition and folklore. They wouldn’t know the gospel if it hit them on the head.

  7. Erasmus says:

    Around 40% of immigrants are Christians, many of then Catholics.

    • Josette says:

      A number of the immigrants are Christians fleeing prejudice because of their religion only to arrive in Malta to find themselves facing racism.

  8. caflisa says:

    Arnold Cassola on RTK today: “Prim Ministru macho mad-dgħajjef imma ġifa u lagħqi mal-politiċi”

    • Jozef says:

      Mainly because at the summit in Brussels last week, he abstained from the crucial vote on burden sharing.

      Seems he hadn’t decided to get Europe to ‘wake up and smell the coh-fey’.

      I’m not sure how his brain works. The vatican had already announced the pope’s visit to Lampedusa, if he’s really concerned about the situation, surely he’d have seen the perfect opportunity to voice legitimate concern.

      It does seem we shouldn’t expect more than gratuitious stunts from this prime minister however.

      Politics? that’s for political parties, who’re toast anyway.

  9. Francis Saliba MD says:

    “Fools” may say that there is no God and secular states may declare that immorality is legal but Christ’s teaching remains true and sound for ever.

  10. jaqq says:

    The problem is that many Maltese are mixing issues. They cannot distinguish between race and religion. Not ALL African immigrants are Muslim. The Ethiopians and Eritreans in their vast majority are Christians.

    If they think they don’t want them here because of Islam then speak to the PM as he is friends with the Muslim community in Malta. Secondly, what about the Maltese converts to Islam? Shall they be shooed away from their own country?

  11. Manuel says:

    The Muscats think that being a good Samaritan means having bowtied waiters hand out finger food to passers-by in front of their Burmarrad home during the village festa.

  12. Felix says:

    But in the meantime, has our church expressed itself on the push-back decision of our PM?

  13. Randon says:

    It is important to remember that the former Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi, had said that he intends to flood Europe with African immigrants.

    I think people in this country have every right to resist the political agenda of Gadaffi which seem to persist under the new Libyan government.

    People in this country are not stupid, Daphne. They KNOW that African immigrants are being used as pawns to create problems in an already problem ridden southern Europe.

    [Daphne – Gaddafi has been dead for two years.]

  14. blue says:

    It has got nothing to do with religion- a good number of them a Christian like yourselves, hmm maybe not as they might try to save you if you are dying.

  15. Jozef says:

    This is a country where if the faithful don’t get to splash out on their festa, they’ll gleefully resort to bashing the clergy during the procession.

  16. Gahan says:

    “Go back where you came from”:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bDly518a-k

    I read about this TV show on SBS Australia in an article on today’s SToM by Prof.Maurice Cauchi.

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130714/opinion/why-i-am-a-racist.477836

  17. just me says:

    The message that Jesus wanted to convey in this parable is very clear.

    If we want to “inherit eternal life”, we must love our neighbour and help all those who need our help, whenever they need it.
    We must do like the good Samaritan.

    We must “go and do like wise”.

  18. Lomax says:

    Let us not forget that Samaritans were non-believers (non-Jews) and considered to be “foreigners” meaning “extraneous to Jewish society”. It is incredible how fitting this reading is. I always deem this reading to be the essence of Christianity.

  19. Gahan says:

    ” I’m against racism”

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130714/local/PM-I-m-against-racism.477821

    Could it be that he’s growing fat instead of getting his nose longer?

    I think he wants to be perceived as the good Samaritan.

  20. X. Gatt says:

    With this pretty ugly facet of the Maltese character rearing its intolerant and racist head, only thanks to our conscientious and honourable PM’s decision to do the Pied Piper equivalent to our troglodyte xenophobes, we are now in a big mess.

    The dimwits who would have otherwise held their tongue only a month ago today feel empowered to unashamedly display their ignorance.

    The vacuous throng who would have previously not even considered a racist perspective now feel comfortable exploring ‘new’ ground.

    What is greater motivation to think, do or act wrongly than having your prime minister lead by example?

  21. Leli tal-haxix says:

    “A gorgeous blonde from an Eastern European country was going down from Swieqi to Paceville, when she was attacked by robbers. They stripped her of her clothes, beat her and went away, leaving her half dead. A short, fat, balding man saw her. He put the blonde in the back seat of his BMW, brought her to his home and took care of her.”

    You see, Daphne – the Maltese can be kind and generous.

  22. tonina says:

    Whistle Blower Act to be passed through parliament. Those who published the photos of Somali children abandoned on the sidewalk would be prosecuted.

    Pajjiz tal-mickey mouse.

  23. francesca says:

    Imhatra li ghada xi Laburisti johorgu jikkritikaw lill-Knisja li qrat vangelu fuq is-Samaritan apposta biex taghmel hsara lill-gvern.

  24. L'Aquila says:

    This weekend’s homily by Mosta Archpriest Fr Albert Buhagiar was one of the best and most topical I have heard for quite some time.

    He tied this Sunday’s gospel to what Pope Francis said during this week’s visit to Lampedusa, a small island like Malta and just as beleaguered by irregular immigration, and to events in Malta regarding the wave of immigrant arrivals.

    He empasised that we should all stop and ponder on Christ’s gospel and the humane act of the Samaritan.

    Who are we? The priest or the Levite who looked and kept going or the Samaritan who took pity of the man?

    Well done, Fr Albert – you sure stood up to to be counted ….. the right way.

  25. vic says:

    Referring to the reading from the Gospel, our priest DID remind us that we have to show compassion to migrants.

  26. Alan De Martino says:

    “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees,to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people” – Isaiah 10:1-2

    • Gahan says:

      For those young people who did not believe that all this, you have all the proof.

      North Koreans singing “Ma taghmlu xejn mal-Perit Mintoff” and “L-innu tal-Partit Laburista”.

      Thank you, Andre.

  27. Edward says:

    When asylum seekers are given the right to live and work in Malta, they do all the jobs that Maltese people wouldn’t dream of doing.

    I don’t see this as a useful side to pro-immigration. I am just stating it as fact. Some go on to open restaurants. There is a particularly good Eritrean restaurant in Malta – although I haven’t been there myself, people say it s great.

    My point is that these difficult jobs which are now being done by immigrants used to be done by Maltese people, who were often treated by certain sections of society the very same way they are now treating the immigrants.

    So much for Labourites being all for the underdogs and poor of society.

    It amazes me how some people can believe in a cause so much that they blindly vote for the wrong people (despite the fact that those people never deliver on their promise), and then when they are in a position to be the type of person they would approve of, they become the very same bastards they initially hated.

    How is it that cries for help from the government to be nicer to the poor (something I believe the government did a lot for) and cries against the oppression of the richer people of the country suddenly turn into hatred and disgust at those who know real hardship, and whose experience of poverty was much more intense than ” I have to eat pizza more often than usual because I can’t afford meat”.

    I find their reaction a form of gratuitous arrogance. They enjoy being in a superior position and love doing what they like with it, as usual.

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