HIS HEART WAS MOVED WITH PITY FOR THEM

Jer 23,1-6; Ps 22; Eph 2,13-18; Mk 6,30-34
22 JULY
When a man understands what God’s compassion is, he radically changes his whole life. He will have only one thought: what to do for the salvation of any man. This thought was of Christ Jesus and that is what led him up to the cross.

For not without means was your almighty hand, that had fashioned the universe from formless matter, to send upon them a drove of bears or fierce lions, Or new-created, wrathful, unknown beasts to breathe forth fiery breath, Or pour out roaring smoke, or flash terrible sparks from their eyes. Not only could these attack and completely destroy them; even their frightful appearance itself could slay. Even without these, they could have been killed at a single blast, pursued by retribution and winnowed out by your mighty spirit; But you have disposed all things by measure and number and weight. For with you great strength abides always; who can resist the might of your arm? Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord and lover of souls (Wis 11,17-26).

The Letter to the Hebrew speaks of right compassion. What is the right compassion? It is that confession that never surrenders and always finds a reason to justify the other before God so that mercy, pity and forgiveness be used for him. Jesus lived with right compassion even on the cross. He excused those who had hung him on the wood.

Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honour upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him: “You are my son; this day I have begotten you”; just as he says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, declared by God high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5,1-10).

Before Jesus there is a great crowd. Can He abandon it to itself? Can he dedicate himself exclusively to the care of his disciples? Being Him the man of right and perfect compassion, he must take care of it. He is its Shepherd and the Shepherd must never abandon the sheep. They must be assisted, treated, felpe and supported.

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

When the Christian understands what the right compassion of Lord Jesus is, he too will change his way of thinking, relating and living. He will be moved by a single desire: listening to the Holy Spirit who will indicate to him from moment to moment what the most holy mode and way for him to love according to the heart of Christ Jesus are.

Mother of mercy, Angels and Saints, teach us to live with right compassion.