Love Thy Neighbor – Your Catholic Weekly Reflection from CMMB

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us to love God and to love our neighbors through the parable of the Good Samaritan. In the story, we learn how a traveler went out of his way to care for a complete stranger he found badly injured on the road. The Samaritan cleaned the man’s wounds, put him on his own horse, took him to an inn to recover, and paid for all his expenses. He recognized the victim as his brother and accepted responsibility for him.

The reading provides a powerful example of mercy and compassion. It makes clear that a neighbor isn’t just the person that lives next door to us—it’s anyone that needs our help. Jesus calls us to care for all people—foreigners, travelers, strangers—as God cares for us.

Venezuela’s economic collapse has caused the biggest migratory crisis in recent Latin American history. According to the UN, more than 4 million Venezuelans have fled their country since 2015. Currently, Colombia is receiving the greatest number of refugees, with recent reports estimating as many as 1.3 million Venezuelans having crossed into the country.

At the border between Venezuela and Colombia, Dr. Atilio Rivera is dedicated to supporting an influx of frightened, hungry people who have left everything behind to face an uncertain future. He is the technical director of health with Project Hope, one of CMMB’s partners. His knowledge, skills, and most importantly, his connection to the people he serves, have led him to the front lines of the refugee crisis.

Dr. Atilio is the technical director of health with Project Hope, one of CMMB’s partners.

In Colombia, Dr. Atilio and his team are faced with a host of challenges, from a lack of medicines and medical supplies to overwhelmed healthcare personnel struggling to cope with the growing number of cases and casualties.

Most of the women Dr. Atilio sees come to the hospital to deliver their children. The majority of these women are at high-risk for serious complications because they have never received any sort of antenatal care due to the collapse of Venezuela’s healthcare system. As the number of pregnant women in need of urgent, specialized care continues to grow, their resources continue to thin. There are not enough beds or doctors to accommodate everyone.

Dr. Atilio discovered his love for humanitarian work 22 years ago when serving Liberian refugees. He has continued working with refugee populations since then and shared with us what draws him to them.

“They all lack the very basic human needs – food, water, sanitation, and shelter and a sense of safety and belonging. Refugees and migrants live in constant fear of getting sick because they do not have access to healthcare. They worry about feeding their children, and they worry about the future.”
—Dr. Atilio Rivera

More than four million Venezuelans have fled their country since 2015. That number could grow to over 5 million by the end of this year.

“It is a blessing to be able to support people in times of need, people who become sick, and where, without someone like you, they wouldn’t have access to care and where, because of this lack of care, they might die.

God has given me the blessing of education and knowledge, and also the will to use it in a compassionate and dignified way.

To become a doctor and help alleviate the suffering of people — to join people in their suffering—this is an amazing opportunity. It’s a blessing. God put us on the other side of the coin—we are not the people in need of help, we are the people who are in a position to help.”
—Dr. Atilio Rivera

Dr. Atilio works selflessly to alleviate the suffering of so many, and all he hopes for is that one day they will be able to return to their home country with the resources to support their health, their careers, and their dreams. May he be an inspiration to us all.

With the daily hustle and bustle of our lives we may forget to be kind to our neighbors—calling a family member that lives far away, supporting a friend that may be going through difficult times, or helping people around us who may be struggling. May we be inspired to find ways to be a Good Samaritan today.

CMMB/Healthier Lives Worldwide

*Today’s reflection was inspired by Loyola Press.