Reflection
“We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.”
The Charter for Compassion
Prayer
Help me, O God, to try to see the world through Your eyes,
the eyes of One who is loving, compassionate, and caring.
Action
Expand the circle of your compassion to include other
creatures, nature, and the inanimate world.
Suggested Reading
Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all God’s demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity”
Romans 12:1-2
God’s heart, Jesus’ heart, was moved when he saw these people, and he could not remain indifferent. Love is restless. Love does not tolerate indifference; love is compassionate. But love means putting your heart on the line for others; it means showing mercy.
Pope Francis
Some people find the experience and practice of compassion as a spiritual discipline to be a more direct route to the transformation of the heart than prayer. It is not that prayer does not or should not play a role in their lives, but their way to the opening of the heart lies through deeds of compassion. “Just do it” summarizes this path of transformation.
Marcus J. Borg in The God We Never Knew
Compassion literally means to feel with, to suffer with. Everyone is capable of compassion, and yet everyone tends to avoid it because it’s uncomfortable. And the avoidance produces psychic numbing — resistance to experiencing our pain for the world and other beings.
Joanna Macy
True compassion does not come from wanting to help those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings.
Pema Chodron