November 13, 2023: Let us choose love as if our lives depend on it

Monday November 13, 2023

Let us choose love as if our lives depend on it

Dear Sisters and Brothers: I found these these 3 readings from the liturgy created by Steve and Dan to be so wonderful and thoughtful.

Sorrow is how we learn to love.

If sorrow is how we learn to love,then let us learn.

Already enough sorrow’s been sown for whole continents to erupt into astonishing tenderness.

Let us learn.

Let compassion grow rampant,

like sunflowers along the highway.

Let each act of kindness replant itself into acres and acres of widespread devotion.

Let us choose love as if our lives depend on it. The sorrow is great.

Let us learn to love greater -- riotous love, expansive love,

love so rooted, so common

we almost forget the world could look any other way.

—Rita Mae Brown, Riding Shotgun

The parable of the good Samaritan

But because he wished to justify himself, (the scholar of the law) said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped him and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instructions, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

O God, you are morning and mercy to all our darkness and to all our sorrow, come to us now and make our hearts readyto encounter You this day.

Accept our silences as well as our words, our intentions as well as our actions, our doubts as well as our faith.

Mend us where we are afraid; and send us out into the world to mend, enliven, and encourage, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.