Be quick to show compassion

IF we really want to be “another Christ,” we should be

quick to show compassion to others who are in need of one thing or

another. Christ himself showed this in that moving episode narrated in

Mk 5,21-43.

  

            While he was preaching, a synagogue official approached

him begging for help for her very sick and dying daughter. And he went

with him. And while on the way, a woman afflicted with haemorrhages

for twelve years, moved by faith, touched his cloak hoping for a cure.

And she was cured. When he reached the official’s house, the daughter

already died. And he brought her back to life again.

  

            This is typical of Christ. Wherever he went, though he had

to convey difficult and hard-to-understand messages to the people,

since these messages were mainly spiritual and supernatural in

character, he never neglected their more immediate human needs.

  

            His heart always flowed with compassion, quick to notice

the needs of others and to respond to them. And all this in all

simplicity, telling the beneficiaries who were so bursting with

gratitude that they wanted to broadcast what they received to the

whole world, to keep quiet instead.

   

            It’s an example that we should all try to imitate. One

deep desire we should have is that of making as some kind of default

mode that attitude of thinking always of the others, wishing them well

all the time and doing whatever we can to help.

  

            It’s obviously not easy to do, but we can always try. With

God’s grace and with our persistent effort, we can little by little

and day by day hack it, such that it becomes second nature to us to

think and feel for the others. That’s what compassion is all about.

  

            Compassion starts in the heart, in our thoughts and

desires. In this level, there is no limit in what we can do.

Obviously, when we try to translate these prayers, thoughts and

desires into action and material things, we can be greatly limited.

But insofar as prayers and sacrifices are involved, the possibilities

are unlimited.

  

            We need to examine ourselves more deeply to see if indeed

we are always thinking, praying and wishing others well. We have to be

wary of our tendency to let our thoughts and desired be dictated only

by self-interest, usually done in a most subtle but effective way. For

this, we have to do regular examination of conscience.

  

            And while we have to be like Christ in showing ready

compassion to all, let’s not forget that we too need to go to him to

ask for some miracles, like those many helpless characters in the

gospel who approached him for a cure. In other words, we cannot rely

anymore on our human powers and resources to handle our many

predicaments. We too have to beg for miracles.

  

            And so let us go to Christ like the blind man Bartimaeus

(Mk 10,46-52), the woman with the flow of blood (Mk 5,25), the 10

lepers (Lk 17,11-19), the man born blind (Jn 9,1-12), the man

possessed by a legion of devils (Mk 5,1-10), and many others. Let’s go

to him without delay, without hesitation.

  

            We can also help others go to Christ if they themselves

cannot do it, like what the father of a possessed boy did (Mk

9,17-24), those who brought a paralytic to Christ (Mk 2,4), the

centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant (Lk 7,1-10), etc. We can

do a lot of good to others if we do this.

   

            What is important is that we approach Christ with deep

faith. Let us humble ourselves so that that faith can grow and show

itself in deeds, like intense prayers and sacrifice. Remember what

Christ told his disciples why they could not cure an epileptic boy. It

was because of their little faith. (Mt 17,20)