Gospel of Mark, chapter 6:34

A pastor was called to attend to a dying parishioner, a notorious individual who couldn’t care less about God or man. The pastor arrived and was surprised to see the dying man frantically turning over the pages of a Bible. Supposing he could be of help, he asked, “What are you searching for?” The dying man coldly replied, “Loopholes.” There are no loopholes in the gospel when it comes to Jesus’ compassion for the needy. In today’s gospel, we see the face of Jesus as the compassionate one; as someone who is willing to change his routine to respond to those in need.

Even though Jesus was going on a much needed retreat with his disciples; even though the people had no right to invade his privacy; still He was able to look at their weary faces, see their need, change his routine, and respond to them. Of course, He was entitled to His rest; of course the people had no right to bug him. But Jesus was not interested in asserting His rights, and He had many. He knew the people were begging Him out of desperation, and He began to treat the cause of such desperate behavior.

How would you respond in a similar situation? Would you be tempted to berate the crowd, accusing them of insensitivity? Would you try to drive them away as the disciples requested? Maybe call the police? Or, would you be compassionate? Compassion is putting oneself in the other person’s shoes and trying to understand the other person. There is an American Indian proverb that says, “Do not criticize your neighbor until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.”

Initially, Jesus tried to get away from the crowd to spend time with His disciples. Even that action was an act of compassion because the disciples also needed a rest: “He said to them, Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while. For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat” (Mark 6:31). One decision was motivated by compassion for the disciples, the other by compassion for the people. None of it was motivated by self-interest. It was compassion through and through.

Let us ask Jesus to give us His spirit of compassion so that we can be responsive to the needs of people around us. And let us be prepared to live lives of compassion whether it calls for a change in our plans today or in our plans for the rest of our lives.

Fr. Hugh Duffy

* * * DO NOT MISS TOMORROW’S BLOG ON EQUALITY * * *