[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”7px|||||” border_width_top=”1px” border_color_top=”#ededed” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”79.9%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”|700||on|||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#ffc700″ custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time:<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”tagline” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”15px” text_letter_spacing=”1px” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”1.PRAYER” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 1.PRAYER<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Spirit of compassion, help us slow down and see people for who they really are. Not strangers. Not problems. But neighbors\u2014real people with stories, pain, and dreams. Open our hearts to listen, to care, and to show up in ways that bring healing, not harm. Amen.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”2. SHARING YOUR STORY” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2. <\/b>SHARING YOUR STORY<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Think of a time you had an unexpected encounter with a stranger who made you feel uncomfortable. What disturbed you? How did you react?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”3. STORIES AROUND THE GLOBE” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 3. STORIES AROUND THE GLOBE<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-8.03.39\u202fAM.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2025-06-23 at 8.03.39\u202fAM” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”caption” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||20px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Scene is shown of daily life in Jangwani, Dar ed Salaam, Tanzania. (Awadh Abdul,, WikiMedia CC)<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Being a missionary disciple means expanding your understanding of your neighbor, often by loving and caring for the wounded, vulnerable, and misunderstood\u2014especially migrants and the marginalized. When Fr. Mike Snyder was living in Tanzania, he saw the cost of quick judgment and deep societal frustration. When a young man was falsely accused of theft, a crowd reacted violently without seeking the truth. Fr. Mike stepped in, taking the beaten youth to the hospital, though it was too late to save him. Later, it was discovered the theft never occurred. In another instance, American volunteers in Dar es Salaam witnessed a similar tragedy and were left in shock, struggling to understand the cultural and emotional weight behind such actions. These experiences mirror how migrants today are often scapegoated\u2014labeled as criminals, thieves, or threats\u2014based on fear and misinformation. Missionary discipleship challenges us to avoid quick judgment and reaction, and rather, to stand with the suffering, to seek truth and justice, and to show compassion even when it\u2019s unpopular or misunderstood.\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”4. GOSPEL STORY” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>GOSPEL STORY<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”<\/p>\n But because he wished to justify himself, he 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 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 instruction, ‘Take care of him.<\/p>\n 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.” Luke 10:25-37<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”5. REFLECTION ON THE READINGS” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 5. <\/b>REFLECTION ON THE READINGS<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Jesus flips the question. It\u2019s not \u201cWho counts as my neighbor?\u201d It\u2019s \u201cAm I being a neighbor?\u201d In this story, it wasn\u2019t the respected leaders who helped\u2014it was the outsider, the enemy, the one no one expected. Being a neighbor means crossing lines, stopping when others walk past, and caring even when it\u2019s hard. That might mean standing up for someone targeted or checking in on someone who\u2019s struggling. In today\u2019s world\u2014where migrants are blamed, people are judged by headlines, and neighbors are reduced to [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”6. FAITH SHARING” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 6. <\/b>FAITH SHARING<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n How is the Spirit inviting you to expand your circle of neighbors to an even wider level of inclusivity that includes strangers and perhaps even the enemy?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”7. GO FORTH” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 7. <\/b>GO FORTH<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n In 1969, during a time of painful racial division, Mr. Rogers did something simple yet bold on national TV: he invited Officer Clemmons, a Black man, to share a wading pool with him, a white man. Together, they cooled their feet\u2014breaking a barrier without saying a word. What\u2019s one simple thing you could do this week to break a barrier? Maybe it\u2019s inviting someone into your space. Maybe it\u2019s speaking up when you hear prejudice. Think about it\u2014and then do it.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”8. PRAYER” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 8. <\/b>PRAYER<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n God of mercy, thank you for the moments that open our eyes and stretch our hearts. Help us notice the people we usually overlook and give us the courage to move toward them\u2014not away. Show us how to be neighbors who bring healing, not harm. Give us the grace to turn strangers, and even enemies, into loving neighbors. Amen.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_button button_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wb3N0Iiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjEwODIifX0=@” button_text=”Read Next Guide” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”button_url” _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”20px” button_text_color=”#0c71c3″ button_bg_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” button_border_color=”#FFC700″ button_icon=”||divi||400″ button_on_hover=”off” display_conditions=”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” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" July 13, 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"featured_image_src":"","blog_images":{"medium":"","large":""},"acf":[],"ams_acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1073"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1089,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1073\/revisions\/1089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cthem\u201d\u2014this parable hits home. In response to the scholar of the law, who asks, \u201cWho is my neighbor?\u201d we can respond, the migrant, the refugee, the displaced\u2014those most in need of mercy.<\/p>\n