9781644135945

The Time After Pentecost
the priest as a victim for our sins. “Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see” and
the hands that offer what you offer. How much more acceptable is the sacrifice and prayer of
Christ than that of Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant! How much more acceptable is
our sacrifice, the sacrifice of the baptized, than the sacrifices of men of ancient times who did
not possess Christ! “Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see.”
“The earth shall be filled with the fruit of Thy works” (Communion). In Holy Communion
Christ truly is the good Samaritan who comes to us with a most perfect devotion, full of love,
carrying wine and oil in His hands, “that wine may cheer the heart of man, and that he may
make the face cheerful with oil, and that bread may strengthen man’s heart” (Communion). In
Holy Communion He instills new life into our soul: life of His life, spirit of His Spirit, love of
His love. Let us try to be “good Samaritans,” too, mindful of the fact that, when we come down
from the Holy Sacrifice and Holy Communion to discharge our duties in everyday life, we also
must fulfill Christ’s words: “Go and do thou in like manner” (Gospel).
Meditation
God wishes to fill our souls with a consciousness of the glory and magnificence of all those graces
that have fallen to our lot through Christ, the good Samaritan, in His holy Church. “Blessed are
the eyes that see the things which you see” (Gospel).
“I say to you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you see, and have
not seen them; and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them” (Gospel). They
had circumcision, the law of Moses, the temple, the daily sacrifices in Jerusalem, the psalms,
the holy books; they were God’s chosen people enjoying God’s special protection. And yet they
desired to see and hear what we, the baptized, the children of the Church of the New Covenant,
see and hear: Jesus Christ. They were not granted this privilege, however, for the Old Covenant
with its law, its rites, and its ceremonies was unable to redeem humanity.
“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who also
stripped him, and having wounded him, went away, leaving him half dead. And it chanced
that a certain priest went down the same way, and seeing him, passed by. In like manner also
a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by” (Gospel). This picture of poor,
unredeemed humanity, robbed by the devil and beaten half to death, is also a picture of the Old
Testament, which, with its priests and Levites, was unable to save fallen humanity. It contained
laws, prescribed prayers and sacrifices, and the observance of “days, and months, and times, and
years” (Gal 4:10); it imposed many washings and penances. At its disposal were but “weak and
needy elements” (Gal 4:9) unable to give true supernatural life. It was a “ministration of death”
without means of communicating the life of grace.
“Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see.” Blessed are we who are members
of the New Covenant, the union of grace. The priests and the Levites of the Old Covenant pass
by the man who fell among robbers; they are unable to help him. “But a certain Samaritan,
being on his journey, came near him, and seeing him, was moved with compassion, and going
up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine; and setting him upon his own beast,
brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Gospel). The good Samaritan is none other
than Christ the Lord. A good Samaritan, the Son of God, came down from the eternal abode
of heaven to take care of poor, lost humanity. Full of compassion, He bows down daily to our
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