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Posts tagged ‘Christ Has No Body’

Compassion – Daily Meditation

Matthew 9:35-36

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Compassion.  A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering (dictionary.com).

I love my dog.  Absolutely.  One hundred percent.  If she is scared, or hurt, my first instinct is to do whatever I can to help her feel better.  If she is lost, I want to find her and lead her home.  If she is scared, I want to be there to help calm her fears.  If she is being harassed by another dog, I want to be there to protect her.  I love her, what more can I say?  We love our dogs, and it is only natural to want to be there for them should they be “stricken by misfortune.”

Compassion is one of the ways God is described.  We see it in the story about Jesus looking at the crowds following him, and seeing beyond the moment to recognize that they were hungering after something most of them probably couldn’t even name.  They were seeking direction, meaning, and healing.  Jesus met them where they were, and offered them what they needed.  Why?  Because he had compassion.

In looking for signs of God in our world and day, you may want to start by looking for simple acts of kindness and compassion done by ordinary people.  I believe it is through ordinary people like you and me that God most often chooses to be present and act in the world.  It calls to mind a poem by Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun who lived from 1515-1582, called “Christ Has No Body.”

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

  • What was your closest moment to God today?
  • When did you see someone offer compassion to another today?
  • Did you have an opportunity to offer compassion to another today?  If so, why did you, or perhaps, why did you not?

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Daily Meditations, Pets and Spirituality

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