In Maryland, March 13 is recognized as Good Samaritan Day. Today, we celebrate those that act as Good Samaritans, serving, caring, and loving those in need. Let’s take a moment to remember the story of the Good Samaritan:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Join us in prayer:

Good Samaritan Prayer

God of love,
May we always see the world through the eyes of the Good Samaritan and be filled
with your deep compassion.
Help us to be merciful neighbors even when it is inconvenient, when we don’t have
time, or when we have other responsibilities to attend to. Grant us the insight to see
the need in those around us, the wisdom to know how to respond, and the strength to
do so willingly.
We pray for those we might cross the road to avoid – the poor, the vulnerable and the
marginalised. Those, who in many and various ways, have been stripped, beaten and
left for dead. We pray for all who call from us more than we feel we have to give.
Open our eyes, that we might not cross the road from human need. May our love of you
and love of our neighbour call us to be people of peace and justice in the world.
And may we, like the Good Samaritan, always ‘go and do likewise’.
Amen.

Today, find a way to spread kindness. Find a way to go out of your way to care for others. We encourage you to be the Good Samaritan for someone you encounter.

(prayer was collected from GoodSamaritanLife.org)