Readings for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 11, 2010

Reading 1, Dt 30:10-14

¹⁰ if you obey the voice of Yahweh your God, by keeping his commandments and decrees written in the book of this Law, and if you return to Yahweh your God with all your heart and soul.

¹¹ 'For this Law which I am laying down for you today is neither obscure for you nor beyond your reach.

¹² It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, "Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we can hear and practise it?"

¹³ Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, "Who will cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we can hear and practise it?"

¹⁴ No, the word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to put into practice.

Gospel, Lk 10:25-37

²⁵ And now a lawyer stood up and, to test him, asked, 'Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'

²⁶ He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?'

²⁷ He replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.'

²⁸ Jesus said to him, 'You have answered right, do this and life is yours.'

²⁹ But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbour?'

³⁰ In answer Jesus said, 'A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of bandits; they stripped him, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead.

³¹ Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.

³² In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side.

³³ But a Samaritan traveller who came on him was moved with compassion when he saw him.

³⁴ He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him.

³⁵ Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper and said, "Look after him, and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have."

³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the bandits' hands?'

³⁷ He replied, 'The one who showed pity towards him.' Jesus said to him, 'Go, and do the same yourself.'

Reading 2, Col 1:15-20

¹⁵ He is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of all creation,

¹⁶ for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, thrones, ruling forces, sovereignties, powers -- all things were created through him and for him.

¹⁷ He exists before all things and in him all things hold together,

¹⁸ and he is the Head of the Body, that is, the Church. He is the Beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that he should be supreme in every way;

¹⁹ because God wanted all fullness to be found in him

²⁰ and through him to reconcile all things to him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, by making peace through his death on the cross.