Pope Francis proposed a true «compassion» and not a simple pity that is content «to look at from afar» those who suffer: take them «by the hand» and lead them «to the dignity that God wants for them, «he explained during the morning mass of September 19, 2017 in the House of Santa Marta.
In his homily, quoted by Radio Vatican in Italian, commenting on the Gospel of the day – the resurrection of the son of the widow of Naim (Lk 7: 11-17) – the Pope emphasized that «compassion is a feeling that implies, is a feeling of the heart, of the viscera, it implies everything. It is not the same as «pain», or that … «what a pity the poor!»: No, it is not the same thing. Compassion implies. It is «suffering with». »
Thus in the Gospel, «the Lord is involved with a widow and an orphan … But, say, you have a whole crowd here, why do not you talk to the crowd? Leave it … it’s life … these are tragedies that happen … No. For him, this dead widow and orphan were more important than the crowd to whom he spoke and who followed him. Why? Because his heart, his viscera got involved. »
Compassion, Pope Francis remarked, pushes «to approach and touch reality. To touch. Do not look at it from a distance. [Jesus] was seized with compassion – first word – he approached – second word. Then he does the miracle and he does not say, ‘Good-bye, I go on my way’: no. He takes the boy … and returns it to his mother: to give back, the third word. Jesus performs miracles to render, to give people their place. »
The Pope encouraged Christians to «do the same», not to help others «from afar»: Christians, through «prayer of intercession» and «work», must work for the suffering to be made » society «,» family life «,» everyday life »
«So often,» he lamented, «we look at the news or some of the newspapers, the tragedies … but look, in this country children do not have enough to eat; in this country, children become soldiers; in this country, women are enslaved; in this country … oh, what a calamity! The poor … I turn the page and go to the novel, the next series. And this is not Christian. »
He concluded with an examination of conscience: «Am I able to have compassion? To pray? When I see these things … are my viscera rising? Does my heart suffer with these people or I feel pain, I say ‘the poor’ … so it is. It is a question of asking «the grace of compassion».
JF
