Helping one wounded soul doesn’t take much. The inspiration for the parable was one person generous with a bit of time and money. Rebuilding a world ill and violent will take no less dedication, and from many people.
67. The parable eloquently presents the basic decision we need to make in order to rebuild our wounded world. In the face of so much pain and suffering, our only course is to imitate the Good Samaritan. Any other decision would make us either one of the robbers or one of those who walked by without showing compassion for the sufferings of the man on the roadside. The parable shows us how a community can be rebuilt by men and women who identify with the vulnerability of others, who reject the creation of a society of exclusion, and act instead as neighbors, lifting up and rehabilitating the fallen for the sake of the common good. At the same time, it warns us about the attitude of those who think only of themselves and fail to shoulder the inevitable responsibilities of life as it is.
All citations of Fratelli Tutti (which can be found on this link) are © Copyright – Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Catholic Sensibility 