The pity of Jesus in the presence of a leper reveals the Lord’s compassion for human suffering. As Christ heals the leper, we recognize God’s great desire to restore us to health and wholeness.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 1st Week of the Year
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We glimpse the compassion of Christ as he pities the people who come to him with their suffering and pain. May the Lord’s mercy inspire us to run to him in our needs, as we share his kindness and love.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 14th Week of the Year
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St. Anthony Zaccaria & St. Elizabeth of Portugal, pray for us!
As the Lord carries out his earthly ministry, his compassion and pity emerge through his response to the people in their need.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 14th Week of the Year
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The pity and mercy of Jesus are echoed in the prophecy of Isaiah who tells us that “the Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces.” May this compassion inspire us to respond to Christ’s call today.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent
For most people, sight is a crucial sense which we rely on consistently to understand and respond to the world around us. May we call upon the Lord for the sight we need to see the path from this life to the next.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 33rd Week of the Year
Matthew’s Gospel shows how the Lord was moved with pity as he gazed on the people who were troubled and abandoned. The mercy of Christ consoles us to draw near to God with open hearts, even as it challenges us to look at one another (especially those who push our buttons!) with the love of the Lord.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 14th Week of the Year
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Photo Credit: Son of God, 2014.
The Lord takes pity on the crowd and he nourishes them through teaching, compassion and food. Following his example, we are called to do the same as we help our brothers and sisters by building them up…body and soul.
Mass Readings – Tuesday after Epiphany
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The Gospel of Matthew reveals the heart of Jesus – filled with pity for the crowds – and helps us understand how the Lord looks at us, especially when we are weak, wounded, lost and struggling. May this scripture passage give us hope to return to the Lord once again in our need, and trust in his boundless love.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of 1st Advent
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Mass Readings – Saturday of the 5th Week of the Year
Adam and Eve experience the natural consequences of sin as they face new challenges in their lives and leave the Garden of Eden; Jesus looks on the crowd with pity and responds to the natural consequences of their needs with compassion – inspiring us to face the consequences of our own sins with the compassion of Christ.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Study: Reflect on a time of grief and loss in your life. Where did you find support and strength?
Pray: Pause to consider those who are going through grief and hold them up in your daily prayers.
Serve: Do you know someone who is struggling with grief right now? Perhaps a visit or an act of kindness could make the day a little brighter.
Last October I was traveling through the Holy Land and I passed through the village where Jesus performed the miracle that is recounted in the Gospel today. I find it easy to imagine the situation: a group of people walking in procession with a widow as they carry her dead son out of the city. There is grief, terrible loss, and the sense that the entire community is mourning with this woman.
Then an encounter with Jesus. First he has pity, then he offers consolation, then a single word: arise!
In a moment everything changes. The Lord gives the man back to his mother, the procession is filled with fear and wonder, and God is praised.
We all know that death is a part of life. Like the seasons of the year, there are times for birth, growth, harvest, and death. Yet there are also times when death happens outside this cycle – in moments of tragedy, unforeseen illness, and accident – and our lives are turned upside down in a heartbeat.
In these moments when we are filled with questions, doubts, and uncertainty. And like the widow in today’s Gospel we can invite the Lord to draw near. The same pity, consolation, and hope is ours – Christ meets us in our weakness and with tender compassion he touches our hearts.
His love is empowered through the victory of his death and resurrection. His sacrifice on the Cross opens the gates of Heaven for us. For at the hour of our death we long to look upon Jesus who will say “Arise!” to us and welcome us to eternal life.
Perhaps you are dealing with grief in your life, or perhaps you are walking with someone in the midst of grief. The Gospel today gives us an opportunity to face death with the conviction of faith – this is not the end, but a new beginning with the Lord. May the pity, consolation, and mercy of Jesus help us to be tender with others in their grief, and may it help us to face the hour of our own death with trust in the Lord’s love.
Three Great Things 