Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Where do we go when we are looking for God? Do we go to a church? Do we find God there in the silence among the worn pews and the scent of flowers and incense? Perhaps we find God in nature's cathedral - in the quiet forest, or the regal mountains, or by the sea. Some find God in between the notes of a symphony. Others find God in the complexity of the sciences, in biology, chemistry, physics. Still others experience God's presence in the rhythm of a well-tuned phrase or in a majestic hymn. In today's Gospel, Jesus invites us to find the presence of God in one another. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan who proved himself to be good, we are taught to seek out the presence of God not only in those we love, respect and admire, but also - and especially - in the poor and the victimized. When we minister to God's poor ones, we minister to God. Therefore, in our ministering, we must be aware that we are touching the very God who made them and us. Our compassion must be personal so that those we serve do not feel themselves a burden, but know themselves to be blessed. When we do all this we will truly have found God.