# LXXXVIII: The Good Samaritan explained — Verses on Various Occasions

> Chapter companion for Verses on Various Occasions by John Henry Newman.

## What happens

The speaker praises the Church of Rome for its comforting rituals and sanctuaries that soothe the heart and calm passion, likening its care to that of a Good Samaritan. Amidst weariness and doubt, the Church offers a refuge where the solitary find friendship and resignation replaces uncertainty.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Church and Tradition

The Church of Rome is portrayed as a nurturing institution that provides spiritual solace and a structured path to peace.

### Suffering and Humility

The speaker's wounds and weariness are tended by a foe, illustrating humility in receiving help and the transformation of suffering through grace.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker expresses personal longing and weariness, finding solace in the Church of Rome.

### Straight a stranger

The foe who tends the speaker's wounds with oil and wine, embodying the Good Samaritan.

## Key lines

> Oh that thy creed were sound! 9 For thou dost soothe the heart, thou Church of Rome, By thy unwearied watch and varied round Of service, in thy Saviour’s holy home.

I wish your beliefs were correct, because you comfort the heart, Church of Rome, through your tireless vigilance and diverse rituals of worship in Christ's sacred house.

_The speaker admires the Church's pastoral care despite doctrinal reservations._

> I almost fainted from the long delay That tangles me within this languid bay, When comes a foe, my wounds with oil and wine to tend.

I was nearly overcome by the prolonged waiting that ensnares me in this sluggish harbor, when an enemy arrives to dress my wounds with oil and wine.

_The unexpected aid from a foe echoes the parable of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing grace from an unlikely source._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/verses_on_various_occasions_se/chapters/lxxxviii-the-good-samaritan
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/verses_on_various_occasions_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/verses_on_various_occasions_se/chapters