Good morning good people, May the Lord give you peace and health in the Holy Spirit.
It is 09th September 2021.
We reflect on Colossians 3:12-17 and the Gospel of Luke 6:27-38.
The Dominican theologian and mystic Meister Eckhart preached once: “Whatever God does, the first outburst is always compassion.”
Compassion is the ability and the willingness to enter the chaos, the pain, and the story of another. It is all about putting oneself in the place of someone to see the world from their perspective, to see what scares them, to understand their fears, to embrace their pain.
Gratefulness generates heartfelt compassion. The proof of love is compassion shown to others. The ungrateful do not find the meaning and joy in being compassionate. We struggle to be grateful and compassionate selflessly at times. To be imitators of God and emulators of Christ in mirroring God’s love and radiating the compassion of Christ is a lifetime endeavour. “For the measure you give, will be the measure you get back.”
In reality, most of the time we are satisfied with the familiar and the minimum in demonstrating love and compassion.
In all our minds the question that comes after listening to the Gospel is that Is it possible to “bless those who curse you,” “turn the other cheek,” and “love the enemy?” It is truly challenging to practice but not impossible.
St. Paul recommends Colossian families to put on love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. Forgive each other, “just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Col.3:13). Friendly relations and meaningful dialogues on Christian teaching with outsiders with due respect for their tradition and culture. Let the Word of Christ, in all its richness, find a home in you.
St. Mother Teresa so appropriately synthesizes: “Love, to be true, has to hurt. I must be willing to give whatever it takes not to harm other people and, in fact, to do good to them. Otherwise, there is no love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.”
May we all give endlessly just as God has lavished on us immeasurably. Have a compassionate and loving day. God bless you.