What must I do to inherit eternal life?

7 OCTOBER (Lk 10,25-37)

In Ancient Scripture the commandments of love were two. The first toward God, the second toward man. They were two similar, but not interchangeable commandments. God and man are two distinct and separate entities. God must be loved because he is the Lord, the Creator and the Redeemer of man. Man must be loved because he is the neighbour, the near one and the brother. In the New Testament the commandment of love has become one. Before God and man were two people, one in heaven and the other on earth. Now with the Incarnation God became man, he assumed man, he became our neighbour and our brother. He became the youngest, the poor, miserable, sick, imprisoned, sinner, refugee, pilgrim, stranger and homeless brother.
With the Incarnation of the Only Son of the Father, man is no longer in the image and likeness of God. In Christ, God is man and man is God. In Christ, every man has been elevated to the dignity of God, because he is made to share in the divine nature in him. Beyond the subjective redemption, through the objective redemption every man has already been assumed; He has already identified himself with every smaller man. Jesus himself will be the one to proclaim this truth to every man in the final judgment.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Mt 25,31-46).

The Priest and the Levite see “God” only in the temple of Jerusalem. They do not see him beat-up by the wayside. The Samaritan sees him; he stops, takes care of him and pays for him. Who possesses this vision of most high faith enters eternal life.

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us this most pure faith.