Compassion

This weekend's Scripture readings present a good opportunity for you to talk with your child(ren) about compassion. (The root words of compassion mean 'to feel with' or 'to suffer with') In the Gospel, Jesus tells us a parable about the poor man Lazarus (his name means 'he whom God helps') and how his needs were entirely ignored by the rich man. Not only his material needs, but his need to be recognized as a person.

We all know that there are a lot of hurting people in our world today: people suffering from natural disasters, the recession, cruel governments, domestic violence, homelessness, bigotry, etc., etc., etc. All of that can seem way out of the sphere of our own control.

But what about the loneliness of the new kid in school, or the one who is seen as being clumsy, or slow, or in whatever way 'different'? Does your son or daughter know someone like that? Maybe you could ask him/her, "I wonder what life is like for that child right now?"... and get a conversation started that helps them begin to think about life from another person's perspective. "How do you think they are feeling? How would you feel? What do you think Jesus would do for/with/to this child?" Can they make any connections between the Gospel story and the circumstances they have described?

We can't solve all the world's problems. We can be people of compassion, doing what we can in our everyday lives to extend the love of Jesus by being boys and girls, men and women who live and love like Jesus.

Here's a prayer that fits both the concept of compassion and is timely (the feast of St. Francis of Assisi is coming up on October 4):

The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen