In these days when news about physical catastrophes go hand in hand with urgent appeals for help, it would be most appropriate to refer to the parable of the Good Samaritan. Yet hardly a word is heard about that parable. One possible reason for this is that the parable's hero is a Samaritan, a most disliked specimen in the Jewish context of those times. Another reason is that the parable is immensely more than an exhortation for social action. It rather aims at underlining a way to secure eternal life. This is not, however, something of which modern man wants to be reminded. The parable is preceded by Jesus' statements that stress the urgency of paying attention to the fact that the Kingdom of God, which is eternal life, is on hand. Careful attention is paid in this booklet to the parable's scene, the danger-laden road from Jerusalem to Jericho. It is also emphasized that some heroic actions in the lives of saints are the best commentaries on the parable. They surely stand in sharp contrast with some dispiriting cases of disinterest in the afflicted. The reason for writing this book was the author's realization that he would have turned into a replica of the parable's priest and levite had he ignored a painful situation.

By Fr. Stanley L. Jaki

ISBN 978-1-892539-04-5  •  32 pages  •  softcover