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

A Franciscan sister, Ilia Delio, OSF, said, “ Compassion grows out of seeds of love within the human heart. It is born from the deepest center wittin and unites our deepest selves.” She explains that a person who has compassion is one who identifies with those who are suffering in such a manner as to “make space witithn the heart to allow the suffering of another to enter, not to heal them or remove their pain but to be with them in solidarity.”

St. Felix of Cantalice, for whom the Felician Sisters have taken their name, was one who acted out of compassion for those around him. Following in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Felix served the poor of Rome, especially the children. He couldn’t remove their poverty, but he could experience their suffering and share bread with them.

St. Teresa of Avila said, “Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world.” Our ability to demonstrate compassion comes from our willingness to open up our eyes to the experiences of others. As we allow our hearts to feel what another person experiences, we experience empathy. As we listen to the voice of those who are suffering, we cannot close our ears to their needs. The seeds of compassion are planted and we must cultivate empathy and respond.

It’s a wonderful aspiration to be like a saint. It’s why we keep their stories at hand and in our hearts. St. Francis saw basic human needs as a motive to act. He served those in need. He served people with leprosy. His compassion compelled him to respond. We also can respond with mercy to the needs of those in our world. I know of a student who spoke last week to a community group about his goal to raise funds for a school in Malawi that he had visited with his grandmother. His compassion for the children in need compelled him to start his fundraising. He came home from that trip and couldn’t just sit by while others were in need. May we grow our relationship with others with the seeds of compassion. May we cultivate those seeds like the saints in our world.

Blessed Angela: “Do not become weary of the life of dedication for others.”