Every Lent we begin with a short course in discipleship. In today’s Gospel, Luke paints Jesus as the man of compassion, the embodiment of God’s concern for us. Jesus enfleshed himself in our skin and shared in our pain. We are called to embody the same compassion by making God’s compassion real for others.
Compassion makes us other-centered. We walk in other people’s shoes and put ourselves in their place so we can understand how they feel. Compassionate people identify with other people’s hurts.
Stretch your notion of who merits your compassion. We want to be compassionate to the poor, the homeless, the sick, and the suffering. We should also show compassion to those who lack self-esteem, feel inadequate, or are trapped in misguided values.
We cannot do that without putting away our judgments. Learn to listen without condemning. Always presume the best about people. Take the high road. That’s a good way to become a disciple of our compassionate Lord.
Father John Murray, C.Ss.R.
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Scripture readings for today: Daniel 9:4-10; Psalm 79; Luke 6:36-38