Reflecting on the parable of the Good Samaritan at the weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV challenges everyone to not let our busy lives “prevent us from feeling compassion” towards others.
Newsroom (May 27, 2025, 09:40, Gaudium Press) During his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV delved into Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan, offering a profound meditation on the nature of true compassion—one that transcends religious duty and demands personal involvement in the suffering of others.
The Holy Father drew from the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37), where a “learned and well-prepared” doctor of the Law approaches Jesus, asking how to inherit eternal life. The Pope observed that the man’s initial question—“Who is my neighbor?”—reveals a self-centered perspective. But Jesus reframes the inquiry entirely, shifting it from “Who loves me?” to “Whom have I loved?”
“The first is an immature question,” Pope Leo said, “while the second is the question of an adult who has understood the meaning of life.” The difference, he explained, is between passive religiosity and active love.
The Dangerous Road of Life
Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan unfolds on the treacherous road from Jerusalem to Jericho—a descent from the heights of the holy city to the depths of the Jordan Valley. The Pope likened this journey to human existence itself, calling it a “difficult and dangerous road” where suffering can strike unexpectedly.
“When circumstances—or even people we’ve trusted—strip us of everything and leave us exposed, we come face to face with our own vulnerability,” the Pope said. It is in these moments, he stressed, that we also discover who we truly are.
The Indifference of the Religious
“Religious practice alone does not automatically lead to compassion,” Pope Leo warned. “It is not a characteristic of religion but of being human.” The priest and Levite, he noted, represent all of us when we prioritize our own agendas over the needs of others.
The Outsider Who Shows Mercy
The one who stops is a Samaritan—a member of a despised ethnic group. Unlike the religious leaders, he acts not out of obligation but from raw humanity.
“Compassion takes form through concrete actions,” the Pope said. “You cannot stay at a distance. To help someone, you must be willing to get involved, to get dirty, even to take risks.” The Samaritan does not merely pity the wounded man; he binds his wounds, carries him to safety, and ensures his care.
Recognizing Ourselves in the Wounded
Pope Leo emphasized that true compassion begins when we acknowledge our own brokenness.
“Only when we see that we, too, are the wounded man on the road can we truly love our neighbor,” he said. The parable, he concluded, is not just a moral lesson but a mirror—one that reveals whether our faith is alive with mercy or empty of love.
The Pope’s reflection served as both a challenge and an invitation: to move beyond theoretical religiosity and embrace the messy, costly work of love. As he reminded the faithful, “Eternal life is not inherited by those who ask the right questions, but by those who stop to help.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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