Be compassionate, because...

WORD 2day: Monday, 30th week in Ordinary time

October 26, 2026: Ephesians 4: 32- 5: 8; Luke 13: 10-17.

'Children of Light', that is how St.Paul addresses us in the first reading today. The reading also paints a clear picture of what it means to be children of God...it means to be kind, compassionate, forgiving, filled with love... in short being like God, simply because we are children of God. In similar terms Jesus addresses the suffering woman as, 'daughter of Abraham'...how loving and compassionate models we have in Christ, our Lord and in the Lord's esteemed apostle.

Love and compassion have to be the defining characteristics of our personality. Nothing can stop us from being compassionate... no difficulty should hinder us from being compassionate... no rule or regulation, no tradition or custom, no practice or policy can stop us from being compassionate; because it should become our very nature as we are children of the Compassionate Father and Mother, God who has loved each of us into existence.

There is yet another phrase from St. Paul that has to be taken seriously in today's context: let no empty argument deceive you, warns Paul. It is crucial we pay attention to this today: In the recent past, during the pontificate of Pope Francis, we had heard many voices criticising him and calling him names, branding him as someone who is destroying the teachings of the Church. In these days we see some strange and inhuman interpretations of a priest who died at the altar with the crucifix that happened to crush his head. We need to be very careful with the anti-Catholic forces which take advantage of any situation to spread the false propaganda, in the disguise of their concern for the Church or Christianity. The sad fact is that some, even within the Church, are so quick to fall for these false propaganda, and worse still, some of them are in authority of teaching! 

The Word reminds us of compassion, compassion that Jesus manifested for persons who came in touch with them! Our compassion should help that person to rediscover that original dignity, not throw the person out as worthless! Compassion alone can define me as a true follower of Christ. Compassion alone can make me a real Christ-ian. I have to be compassionate because, it is Compassion that has formed me and has shaped me!