Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Lk 19: 41-44
As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Jesus Weeps With Compassion
Jesus weeps with compassion even for those who do not seem to warrant compassion in the sight of man. Jesus feels compassion for all of creation, not just believers. He is an example to us of how we are to treat one another in love. Even to those with whom we disagree, or those who have fundamentally different worldviews, we are to act in love and compassion. Think of someone who really grinds your gears, someone who, when given the choice, you avoid. Can you expand your circle of compassion, normally reserved for those you love, to include them? That is what Jesus is asking us to do and by the power of his Holy Spirit it can be done.
—Terresa Ford, M.Div. is a Resident Spiritual Health Clinician (Chaplain) at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, GA and a Resident Spiritual Director in the Spiritual Direction Formation program at Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center in Sandy Springs, GA.
Prayer
Gracious and loving God, thank you for your unwavering, unconditional love and compassion. Instill us with the desire to embrace all of your people with that same love and compassion. Provide us with what we need to love you fully and love our brothers and sisters completely. We ask this in your sacred name Jesus, for the glory of the Father. Amen.