This parable of the Good Samaritan, except for the Parable of the Prodigal Son, may be the best-known story of all time. In 2004 Family Theater Productions filmed a documentary on Father Theodore Hesburgh of Notre Dame, who served as president for 35 years. For decades he addressed all incoming students with a moving welcome message. We wanted to capture that message on camera, so we asked him to deliver it spontaneously, which he did.
Here is a paraphrase of what he said.
When a doctor of the law asks Jesus what he must do to attain eternal life, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. A man, let’s call him Adam, or humanity, is going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, falls among robbers who strip him, beat him, rob him, and leave him half dead. By chance, a priest is passing by, sees the poor man in the ditch, but being a dedicated, competent, and busy servant of God, he is too pressed for time to stop and help. He passes by.
Next, along comes a Levite, he too sees the poor victim. Like the competent priest, he is deeply committed to his duties and is not able tear himself free from his schedule to stop and help the poor man left for dead by the robbers.
The priest is competent and knows his stuff. The Levite is passionately committed to the work entrusted to him. Competence and commitment two necessary qualities but they are not enough, something more is need. Along comes the Samaritan. Clearly, he is competent like the priest, and committed to his work like the Levite, but he has that other necessary quality, compassion. He has all three C’s: competence, commitment, and compassion. He is the only one of the three that takes the decisive step to go to the aid of the poor victim, pours soothing wine and oil on his wounds, embraces him, raises him up on his own horse, brings him to the inn and cares for him. If you are going to make a difference in the world, you need all three C’s competence, commitment, and compassion.
For us, perhaps the Good Samaritan is Jesus, come to rescue, Adam, fallen humanity, from the clutches of the evil one. Jesus, with sacramental oil and blood from the Cross, cares for the poor victim. He brings him to the Inn, Holy Mother Church, and leaves humanity in the care of the Church with two silver pieces, the Old and New Testaments, and asks the Church to care for humanity until Jesus returns. He has entrusted all our families to the care of the Church, especially the domestic church.
Parents who love and care for their children are today’s good Samaritans, competent, committed, and compassionate.
God bless our families with many Good Samaritans.
Father Wilfred J. Raymond, C.S.C. (Father Willy), a native of Old Town, Maine, is the eighth of 12 children. He joined the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1964 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1971. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Stonehill College in 1967 and a master’s in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in 1971. He served in ministry at Stonehill College (1979-1992), Holy Cross leadership (1994-2000), National Director of Family Theater Productions, Hollywood (2000-2014), and President of Holy Cross Family Ministries (2014-2022). In addition to English, he is conversant in French and Spanish. He remains a diehard fan of the Boston Red Sox, even though he has served as Chaplain for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
