Welcome to Holy Week, my favorite week of the year. Today’s Lenten reflection by Carl McColman was on compassion. Carl talked about compassion as actually liberating, and loving. Good points all.
It made me think of compassion in daily life. Small acts that show kindness, both to oneself and to others. Like when you’re driving and someone needs to enter traffic in front of you. Do you safely let them in? When I was younger (much younger!) I was always in a hurry and driving was a “contest” to see who got there first. I rarely let someone in I have to admit, they would win the contest! Anyway now I take my time. I always let people in because I think to myself: maybe they’ll think of it as an act of kindness, and maybe it’ll make them feel good enough to extend the courtesy to another.
How about people that are near me? Just a look and a smile can make someone’s day. It’s an act of kindness to make another happy. And kindness to me is compassion. We’re all going through something. Brightening another’s day… it just helps. And isn’t that what we’re here for?
Anyway I think of the small things this week especially. Jesus showed incredible courage going back to Jerusalem, knowing the powers that be wanted to kill him. And then he suffered… humiliation, pain, even abandonment, and then death. To show us, I think, that God suffers right along with us. God is with us in our suffering, always.
This is our example. This is our God. “He looked upon him with love” Scripture says of the man who already did everything Jesus asked. Which is to say, compassion. God looks upon us the same way. Maybe we can apply a little of that look upon others in our daily lives. Especially this week.
Blessings to you and yours in this Sacred time.
Your brother In Christ,