Homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Young Dylan hated going to bed each night. He was terrified, like many children, of the monsters that lived under his bed. But Dylan's room also had a door that led up the creaky stairs to the attic. And as everyone knows, the attic is where the replacement monsters for under the bed come from.

Each night, Dylan grew increasingly anxious as the shadows lengthened at bedtime; the four-year-old was beside himself with fear.

Dylan's older brother's friend, Aiden, learned about his problem. Aiden shared that when he was Dylan's age, he was also afraid of monsters. However, one night, Aiden made a remarkable discovery: he found that his bed sheet was bulletproof. He said he could not be harmed as long as he stayed underneath that sheet each night. In fact, he claimed that the power of the bulletproof sheet was so strong that simply pulling it up to his neck would protect his head, too. Aiden told Dylan that this miraculous sheet had saved his life and helped him sleep soundly ever since.

That very night, Dylan discovered that his sheet was bulletproof, too. He burrowed underneath its folds and was never bothered by monsters again.

Aiden embodies the compassion and kindness of the Good Samaritan we encounter in today's Gospel reading. He didn't make fun of Dylan or tell him to grow up or stop acting like a baby. Instead, he showed Dylan that he cared and understood. He helped a frightened child find a way to cope with his fears.

"Good Samaritans" like Aiden possess compassion and kindness that surpass the tendency to judge, assign blame, or look down on someone. They recognize that understanding and mercy go beyond legalistic arguments and rationalizations. They demonstrate the essential Gospel truth that extraordinary things can be accomplished with the ordinary gifts we possess for the love of our neighbors.