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When Jesus 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. Mark 6:34
What is compassion? It’s an attribute by which someone sees the
suffering of another and experiences true empathy for them. This
empathy, in turn, leads the person to reach out and share in the
person’s suffering, helping them to endure whatever they are going
through. This is what Jesus experienced within His own Sacred Heart
as He looked out upon this vast crowd.
The Scripture above introduces the familiar miracle of the feeding
of the five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two fish.
And though the miracle itself offers much to ponder, this
introductory line also gives us much to ponder regarding our Lord’s
motivation for performing this miracle.
When Jesus looked out at the large crowd, He saw a group of people
who seemed lost, were searching and were spiritually hungry. They
desired some direction in their lives, and, for that reason, they
were coming to Jesus. But what’s very helpful to reflect upon is
Jesus’ Heart. He was not annoyed by their insistence, He was not
burdened by them; rather He was deeply moved by their spiritual
poverty and hunger. This moved His Heart to “pity,” which is a form
of sincere compassion. For that reason, He taught them “many
things.”
Interestingly, the miracle was simply an extra blessing but was not
the primary action Jesus took on account of His compassionate
Heart. First and foremost, His compassion led Him to teach
them.
Jesus looks at each one of us with the same compassion. Whenever
you find yourself confused, lacking direction in life and
spiritually hungry, Jesus gazes at you with the same gaze He
offered this vast crowd. And His remedy for your needs is to teach
you, also. He wants you to learn from Him by studying the
Scripture, by daily prayer and meditation, by reading the lives of
the saints and learning the many glorious teachings of our Church.
This is the food that every wandering heart needs for spiritual
satisfaction.
Reflect, today, upon the most compassionate Heart of our Divine
Lord. Allow yourself to see Him gazing at you with the utmost love.
Know that His gaze is one that drives Him to speak to you, to teach
you and to lead you to Himself. Trust this most compassionate Heart
of our Lord and allow Him to reach out to you in love.
Lord, help me to see You as You gaze at me with the most
heartfelt love and compassion. I know You know my every struggle
and my every need. Help me to open myself up to You and Your mercy
so that You become my true Shepherd. Jesus, I trust in
You.
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Featured image above: St. Martin Church - The Sermon on
the Mountain by Arsène Robert, via Wikimedia Commons
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