Reflect
In Matthew 22:39, Jesus tells the Pharisees that one of the two great commandments is: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But who are our neighbors? Our faith reminds us that we all make up the body of Christ. Therefore, we are all neighbors, even if that idea makes us uncomfortable because some people think so differently from us.
Pray
Sometimes, it would be easier if I didn’t have to consider certain people neighbors:
that guy who cut me off on the highway the other day, that loud friend of a friend
who always seems to dominate conversations, that person with the political sign
in his/her yard for the candidate opposed to the one I voted for.
All of these people truly are neighbors in the broader sense.
And people I have never met and may never meet—they are neighbors too,
members of the human family to which I belong.
God, I pray for solidarity with my brothers and sisters in Christ–neighbors all.
Amen.
Act
In these times of isolation and overdependence on technology for the purpose of communication, consider turning a stranger into a neighbor. Strike up a conversation with someone while waiting in line at the bank or the grocery. Get to know someone in your parish or community who you see often but have never spoken to.
