God is Compassionate (HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (AUGUST 05, 2024)

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (AUGUST 05, 2024)

Jer.28:1-17; Ps.119; Matthew 14:13-21

God is Compassionate

Pope Francis once said that the Shepherd should necessarily smell like the sheep. What this means is that we must be compassionate if we must be of help to others. It is someone who is compassionate that can dare to be sacrificial. To be compassionate is to be emphatic, which means to put yourself in the shoe of others so that you are able to feel their situation and render real help to them.

In today’s gospel, Jesus needed to be alone to mourn one who was not just his forerunner but also his cousin John the Baptist who had been martyred by Herod. He returned to a lonely place. It was enough for him put everyone away since he may not have been disposed. Yet, he did not send the crowds away when they located Him. The extent of our love can be measure by the degree of sacrifice we make. In his mourning state, He still felt compassion for the people.

Here we find a perfect display of Jesus’ divine and human natures. As man, he was mourning; as God he will not abandon his children. No parents decide not to cater for the children because they are mourning the death of one of them. Beloved, Jesus never abandons us. Some times, situations in life may want to suggest otherwise. When such moments come our way, we should recourse to the words of the psalmist in Ps.103:2 “never forget the wonders of the Lord”. 

Sometimes what we really need to surmount difficult moments of our lives is to remember the graces we have received from God. Such remembrance will assure us of God’s undying compassion. An ungrateful heart cannot persevere in times of trials.

Remain blessed