I recently arrived home in Siġġiewi in my car with a very heavy suitcase, for a visiting friend, which had to be carried up two short levels of stairs into my lift.

I soon realised that, owing to my poor health, I could not carry this unaided.

After five minutes, I flagged down a gentleman in a large Mercedes and asked him if he could help me. He replied politely that he was late and could not.

After another five minutes, a young person cycled near me and I once again asked for help.

He was not driving a Mercedes, had a battered bicycle and was black and quite thin.

His smile to me on being asked for help was so kind and willing, and his instant offer to carry my heavy load was so spontaneous that my thoughts went back immediately to the parable of The Good Samaritan.

Maybe we should be grateful to some of these less fortunate people who have landed on our shores, uninvited, for what they can offer us in return.

May God bless all those people in need of our help.