As I read and reflected on today’s readings several questions arose: “When was the last time you felt Jesus’ compassion? When was the last time you felt compassion for another person? How do we grow in compassion?”
We’ve just heard, “When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them…” In Jesus’ Sacred Heart there is more than enough compassion for all men and women and children who are experiencing suffering of any kind.
The reason in today’s gospel that Jesus felt compassion was because the people were like sheep without a shepherd; a people who were lost and needed someone to guide them. And Jesus knew what that could lead to…
Compassion Over Exasperation
In the passage just before this account, Jesus and his disciples were tired from preaching and healing people for days, and so they set off by boat for a deserted place to recharge their batteries. However, word got out and the people ran by foot and arrived before Jesus and his disciples.
Imagine, you’ve had a long week at work or school, or hosting guests and you make plans to get away and rest and recover and suddenly you’re confronted by your co-workers, classmates, or house guests at the place you tried to get away…how would you react?!
In one of the few times in scripture we hear about Jesus’ emotions; it wasn’t exasperation or resentment as many of us would feel…but instead pity out of compassion for the people.
God Is Love
In our first reading from John, we find the answer to how Jesus could respond in this way. John teaches us with three words, “…for God is love.” In other words, every action that comes from God is perfectly loving…and inexhaustible.
The people in that vast crowd must have been physically hungry because they consumed many loaves of bread and fish that Jesus miraculously multiplied but the first reason, they followed Jesus went beyond physical hunger.
There must have been people who had illnesses that were physical and psychological; people who had relationship problems with loved ones and God; and they believed that Jesus could help them; why else would they follow Him and then race by foot to the next location? As Jesus looked out over the vast crowd, He saw their needs and felt what they were going through.
Christ's Compassion in the Eucharist
Every time we gather in prayer at home or at Mass we can better perceive how Jesus looks at us and feels compassion when we are in need…whether we are hurting---whether we are confused or lost or even pridefully defiant; Jesus looks at us with pity and wants to teach us as He taught that crowd.
And after He had taught them, He then provided for their physical hunger, in a way that prefigured the Eucharist that we celebrate at this Mass. In fact, this gospel account from Mark with Jesus teaching parallels the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist in which Jesus nourishes our body and soul at each Mass.
My brothers and sisters, Jesus looks upon all of us each day without ceasing and our awareness of His compassion for us is only limited by our willingness to seek Him. When we do, it is then that we become more like Him and better able to care about---and for others. It is in imitation and through the grace of Jesus that we grow in compassion in big and small ways---that we give to one another.
- Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
