Tag Archives: god

The Compassion of Jesus

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The Shadow of Death by William Holman Hunt (1871)

Click here for today’s Scripture readings.

1 Kgs 3:4-13
Mk 6:30-34

Mark tells us that Jesus was so moved with pity when he saw the crowd that he ignored his own and his Apostles’ need for food and rest.  Where did this compassion of Jesus come from and where did it lead him?

All of Jesus’ adult life up to about age thirty he lived as an ordinary carpenter.  He performed no miracles nor did he do any soul- stirring preaching.  How often during these hidden years must Jesus have longed to reach out to heal and teach and encourage! How many times did he long to restore a dying child to grieving parents? How many hungry people did he meet and in his heart desire to feed them with miraculous bread?  How many cripples and lepers did he long to make whole again?  Yet he had to hold back those urges and remain anonymous until his time had come.

During these hidden years Jesus human heart grew steadily in love and compassion for all people.  This growing in human love was probably his greatest undertaking throughout the long preparation for the initiation of his public ministry.   Jesus in his Divinity always loved humanity, but his dual nature required that he, like us, grow in human love until it reached its full maturity.  Only then did he begin his ministry of miracles and preaching.

This ministry was to arouse opposition that increased until it reached its climax on the cross.  Love for humanity led Jesus to the cross.  The compassion that caused him to forget his own need for rest in today’s Gospel also empowered him to draw all humanity to himself as he was raised up on the cross.  When he did not feel within his human heart the divine love of his Father, Jesus called out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”    But still he held within his human heart that human love and compassion for all humanity.  And this enabled him to continue to endure the cross for our sake. God had not abandoned him but had tested the true strength of Jesus’ love for humanity even when we were at our worst.

Fr. Patrick Geinzer, C.P.
St Paul’s Monastery and Retreat Center, Pittsburgh

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Judging Others As God Does

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King David in Prayer, by Pieter de Grebber (c. 1640)

Click here for today’s Scripture readings.

Sir 47:2-11
Mk 6:14-29

The Book of Samuel read today offers a hearty testimony to King David and his achievements. He was a warrior who  “made sport of lions as though they were kids, and of bears, like lambs of the flock,” and then gave thanks to God for it all.

“With his every deed he offered thanks
to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole being he loved his Maker
and daily had his praises sung.”

A deeply religious man, David gave the people a place of worship and prayers:

“He set singers before the altar and by their voices
he made sweet melodies,
He added beauty to the feasts
and solemnized the seasons of each year.”

The Book of Samuel has just a slight reminder that David was also a sinner:

“The Lord forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever.”

Is this passage an attempt to whitewash David’s life? A press-agent’s account of a wealthy client? We might think so.

Instead, does it mirror how a merciful God sees things, so differently than we humans do, who tend to judge others by their sins and faults? Let’s try judging others as God does.

- Fr. Victor Hoagland, CP is the Director of Passionist Press and a member of the Passionist Community in Union City, NJ.

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We can regret like God!

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Click here for today’s Scripture readings.

2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17
Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
Mark 6:16

David’s calling of the census would have enabled him to create his own royal army instead of trusting the traditional tribal troops to fight Yahweh’s wars. He could centralize his power. Afterward David regretted what he had done. Like Adam and Eve who attempted to be like gods instead of trusting in God (Gen. 3:5) David relied only on his own power and judgment.

Actions and attitudes always have consequences. The king’s actions and attitudes brought consequences to all in his kingdom. God gave David three choices: famine, civil war; or pestilence. David chose one which would come from God rather than from the hand of man because God… is most merciful! God could not ignore David’s sin but limited the consequences: the Lord regretted the calamity and said… “Enough…”!

David had become too used to his power. Momentarily, he thought he could rule on his own, without God’s help.

In today’s Gospel, the people were astonished at Jesus’ words and deeds. They were too familiar with their thoroughly human townsman. Where did this man get all this? Their assumption that he was only a carpenter, a handy-man who was acting above his place, prevented him from being able to perform any mighty deed there.

Do we sometimes, like David, think ourselves like God, rely only on ourselves and suffer the consequences? Are we sometimes so accustomed to the old stories of Jesus that we fail to see and perceive what Jesus Christ is actually doing and desiring to do in our midst? By our simplistic (unconscious?) disbelief do we prevent him from performing any mighty deed among us?

Can we, like David and like God, regret what we have done and change our ways for our own good and that of others?

Then we could pray with the Psalmist:

Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, Whose sin is covered.
Blessed the one to whom the Lord imputes not guilt ,In whose spirit there is no guile.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you, My guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the Lord”, And you took away the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:2-5)
Amen!

- Fr. John M. Lee, C.P., Retreat Director, Bishop Molloy Retreat House, Jamaica, NY www.bishopmolloy.org

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