Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) - Driven by Divine Compassion

About this episode

This episode explores the profound compassion of Jesus as depicted in the Gospels, emphasizing His divine mercy and intimate love for humanity.

Read Online At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 As Jesus went “to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness” (Matthew 9:35), He was moved with deep compassion for the crowds. The Greek verb splagchnizomai is often translated as “moved with pity” or “moved with compassion.” It appears twelve times in the Gospels—eight times describing Jesus’ own compassion and four times illustrating divine mercy in parables or related contexts (the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Unforgiving Servant, and the plea of a father for his demon-possessed son). This verb conveys not just an emotional response but a profound stirring of His entire being, compelling Him to act with divine mercy—engaging His mind, will, body, and emotions. Understanding this verb is essential because it unveils the very heart of Christ’s mission, where His divine mercy is fully manifest in His humanity. Though His mercy originates in His divinity, He fully lived and expressed it in His human nature, allowing it…

Topics covered

• divine compassion
• Jesus' mission
• spirituality
• Christian love
• mercy
• shepherding

Keywords

• compassion
• mercy
• Jesus
• spirituality
• Christianity
• Matthew
• shepherd

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Matthew, Good Samaritan, Prodigal Son, Unforgiving Servant

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