Written by Barb Spies, OFS, Director of Mission Services and Pastoral Care

I have a set of prints of St. Francis that offer compelling images of the kind of service to God’s people that he offered. The one of him giving aid to a person with leprosy always calls me to consider what I am doing to serve those in need. I read an article recently about compassion, entitled “Compassion is a Moral Force,” by Marc Gopin. The author notes, “We have decoded the genome, harnessed artificial intelligence, expanded communication across continents at the speed of thought, yet our moral imagination has not kept pace. Loneliness, inequality, ecological collaps, and resurgent authoritarianism gnaw at the heart of civilization.” I am always hopeful that when we learn of the troubles others face, we will feel compelled to respond. It’s the story of the Good Samaritan over and over again. Gopin says, “Compassion does not erase conflict, but instead tranforms how we meet it. It does not abolish disagreeent, but rather turns disagreement into a site of learning and service.”

Can we cultivate compassionate relationships with others around us, with our communities, with our nation, with those around the world? Can we respond to our environment with compassion as well? I listened to a podcast recently that talked about the damage humanity has done to the oceans with bottom trawling of the seabed for fishing. Instead of fishing for particular kinds of species that meet our needs, bottom trawling scoops up everything, damaging the entire ecosystem of the ocean floor. It is like coming in with a bulldozer in order to pick some wild blueberries. Having more compassion for the world around us looks like careful protection of those environments that need to survive for the rest of ocean life to thrive.

I used to take groups of students to a meal program in Milwaukee in order to gain experience and insights from serving those most in need. Students served the meal, but more importantly, they also took time to share a meal at table with the guests of the meal program. The ride home to the university was filled with reflection on the experience. The compassion I heard in the voices of these students from all different backgrounds and nationalities was heart warming. They had been transformed by their compassionate work. They sought responses to the needs of commmunities so that all can flourish and heal. We all have the opportunity to experience the tranformative power of compassion.

Blessed Angela: “Let your love be like Christ’s love, revealing itself not only in feelings but in deeds.”