The Feast of St Francis Borgia SJ | Monday 3 October 2022

Today is Monday the 3rd of October, the feast of St Francis Borgia SJ, in the 27th week of Ordinary time.


Madison Cunningham with the Porter’s Gate sings, ‘Little Things with Great Love’.’

In the garden of our Savior, no flower grows unseen;
His kindness rains like water on every humble seed.
No simple act of mercy escapes His watchful eye —
for there is One who loves me: His hand is over mine.
In the kingdom of the heavens, no suff’ring is unknown;
each tear that falls is holy, each breaking heart a throne.
There is a song of beauty on ev’ry weeping eye —
for there is One who loves me: His heart, it breaks with mine.
Oh, the deeds forgotten; oh, the works unseen,
every drink of water flowing graciously,
every tender mercy, You’re making glorious.
This You have asked us: do little things with great love,
little things with great love.
At the table of our Savior, no mouth will go unfed;
His children in the shadows stream in and raise their heads.
Oh give us ears to hear them and give us eyes that see —
for there is One who loves them: I am His hands and feet.

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.


Luke 10:25-37

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

We’re so familiar with today’s passage that it can be hard to be moved by its radical message.

This lawyer is testing Jesus and perhaps trying to catch him out. The man knows that loving your neighbour is central to faith.


Which category of people do you find it hardest to love? Take a moment to admit this to yourself and to Jesus.

Carry on the conversation. What is Jesus inviting you to do with this? What grace do you need?


Here’s a way of perhaps enjoying Jesus’ story with some of the original freshness: as you listen again, consider the crowd hearing it for the first time. They probably expected the hero to turn out to be one of their own and would have been as horrified as the lawyer at the shock reveal. Imagine the crowd listening . . .

What’s it like for Jesus to shake things up in this way? Let him know what you think of this . . .

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.