--- title: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time description: Explore the call to love our neighbors, focusing on the vulnerable among us—orphans, widows, and immigrants—and the importance of compassionate outreach. image: https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/hubfs/rsz_neighborhood.jpg --- [Go Back Up](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/vicki-klima-liturgy-blog/30th-sunday-in-ordinary-time#top) [Skip to Content](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/vicki-klima-liturgy-blog/30th-sunday-in-ordinary-time#body) [![vicki-klima-liturgy](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/hubfs/vicki-klima-liturgy.svg "vicki-klima-liturgy")](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/) Toggle Menu - [HOME](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org) - [BOOK](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/participation-of-the-heart) - [BLOG](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/vicki-klima-liturgy-blog) - [ABOUT](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/about-vicki-klima) - [CONTACT](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/contact-vicki-klima-connect-on-liturgy-worship) # 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time October 19, 2026 • Written by Vicki Klima ![](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/hubfs/rsz_neighborhood.jpg) Share article [mailto:?subject=30th%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time&body=https%3A%2F%2Fvickiklimaliturgy.org%2Fvicki-klima-liturgy-blog%2F30th-sunday-in-ordinary-time](mailto:?subject=30th%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time&body=https%3A%2F%2Fvickiklimaliturgy.org%2Fvicki-klima-liturgy-blog%2F30th-sunday-in-ordinary-time) *Who is My Neighbor?* *Exodus 22:20-21*. The people needing protection at the time of the book of Exodus were the alien, the widow, and the orphan. They were vulnerable because in that society, they didn’t have any rights, and they weren’t “attached” to anyone who had rights. They depended on the charity and good will of those with rights. After thousands of years, we find these same three groups needing help today. If we are to love neighbor as we love ourselves (today’s Gospel), we need to take care of the most vulnerable among us. There are orphans, but there are also children who are neglected or abused. There are widows, but there also women raising children alone, holding down more than one job, exhausted trying to make ends meet. Society may have opened new opportunities for women, but the reality is that there is still inequality between men and women in the workplace. There are aliens, and their numbers could grow as people flee war and terror and poverty in their homelands. The Church continues to speak about the care of these people who need shelter, security, and safety. The daily news contains numerous stories of defenseless people hoping for a better life. Immigration issues are rife in our country. People disagree about a solution for helping them, and some would rather not help at all. There is fear toward people who are different. That fear leads to turning our backs on them. Fear leads to lumping them together in a group we call criminals and fraudsters. We do not see the individual, the person looking for a better and safer life. What are we being called to do to assist those who are the neediest? Do we know who the people in our community are who are struggling with basic human needs? Do we have structures in place to support them? Is our outreach bountiful at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but not so much the rest of the year? The Jewish Scriptures are said to contain 613 commandments. Jesus is asked to choose the greatest of these. Reflect on the two greatest commandments that he chose. First, what does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind? Why do you love God? How do you show your love of God in daily actions and attitudes? Second, what does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? How do you show your love of neighbor in daily actions and attitudes? Remember that Jesus says, *“The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”* Today’s Collect (Opening Prayer) asks for an increase in faith, hope, and charity. We pray that we will love the word God has given to us so that we will obtain the promise of eternal life in heaven.   ### Subscribe to Vicki Klima's Liturgy Blog! ![](https://vickiklimaliturgy.org/hubfs/imgs/vickiklima.png) [mailto:](mailto:) ###### Vicki Klima Vicki, a retired liturgist and parish administrator, is passionate about enriching Catholic worship. She authored *Participation of the Heart* to help Catholics engage more deeply in the Mass. With a Master’s in Pastoral Liturgy, she has led workshops, written for liturgical publications, and continues to inspire through speaking, writing, and her love of music and theater. 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