Fifteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying! She was moved with pity for him and said, “It is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” “Yes, do so,” she answered. So the maiden went and called the child’s own mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will repay you.”

Through the act of saving Moses, the Pharaoh’s daughter showed compassion for the innocent and for those whom her father saw as his inferiors. She risked much by this act of charity and similarly, we are sometimes asked to risk ourselves in service of God and others. This scene reminds us all that we need to cultivate a sense of compassion for others, a willingness to love them and show mercy to them no matter who they are or what their circumstances. Sure it is easy to be compassionate toward innocent people or loved ones, especially when there is nothing at risk from our doing so. However, we need to have the same storehouse of love and mercy for those whom we dislike, whom are our enemies, or whom we might suffer for helping. Our compassion must be blind, given freely without reservation or restriction. This is how Jesus gave himself to and for us and we should do no less.

In what ways do we show compassion for others? Are we willing to put aside our own feelings and know, love, and serve those whom we dislike? Are we willing to suffer in order to become loving and merciful souls to all who seek our aid?

O Lord, grant us compassionate hearts.

Amen.

Fourteenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

“Come closer to me,” he told his brothers. When they had done so, he said: “I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.”

Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers is something we can all learn from. He shows us how to put aside the wrongs others have done to us and instead embrace those who wronged him in spite of the temptation for vengeance. He could have been bitter and turned his back on his brothers as they had done him. And yet, he is merciful and sees how his brothers’ ill treatment of him led to a greater good. He focuses not on his brothers’ sinfulness, but rather on God’s goodness. Joseph’s merciful and trusting nature comes from his choice to do what is right and loving even to those who have wronged him. This is what Jesus did in His life, when he chose to sacrifice himself for us... sinners who betray him every day in great and small ways. But thankfully, Christ’s Divine Mercy and his desire to save lives is far greater than any of our sins and so he spares us when we come before him and admit our guilt.

Are we willing to forgive those who have wronged us? Can we put aside personal feelings and do good to those who have done us evil? Are we willing to suffer for the sake of saving lives?

O Lord, help us to be merciful and loving even to those who have harmed us.

Amen.