HAVING EMPATHY AND COMPASSION

HAVING EMPATHY AND COMPASSION


We read today
About the HOLY FAMILY


About how they GOT UP
In the night-
Hurried out of the country-
And had
To FLEE the country


“Rise=take the CHILD
And his mother=
FLEE TO EGYPT.......” Matthew 2:13


Mary and Joseph did this
So that the CHILD Jesus
Would NOT be murdered
Bu Herod


They RAN toward
A land that offered
Them SAFETY


How often do we-
Or someone that we LOVE
Run towards
WHERE we can be SAFE


How frantic
They must have felt
How SAD
They must have felt


As they traveled
INTO the bleak darkness
Of another country


FEELING EMPATHY AND COMPASSION
For the HOLY FAMILY
And feeling empathy and compassion
For the COUNTLESS FAMILIES
Of today


That have to LEAVE
Their homelands
Due to persecution-
Violence-and other
Life-threatening conditions


“The Lord
Is gracious
And COMPASSIONATE


Slow to anger
Rich in love” Psalm 145:8


“The Lord is
Good to all


He has COMPASSION
On all
He has made” Psalm 145:9


“I will
Have mercy
On whom I have mercy


And I will
Have COMPASSION
On whom I have COMPASSION” Romans 9:15


Those FAMILIES that
Leave their homelands
Are a lot
Like the HOLY FAMILY


They leave behind relatives=
Language=and the
FAMILIAR places of
Their history and culture


FEELING EMPATHY and
Compassion for the
HOLY FAMILY=
Feeling empathy and compassion
For all TRANSPLACED families


“The Lord is
COMPASSIONATE and gracious=
Slow to anger-
Abounding in LOVE” Psalm 103:8


There are a lot
Of POLITICS=regarding those
Who cross borders
Into foreign lands


But please let us
Have EMPATHY
For these FAMILIES
And what
They are going through


And let us EXTEND COMPASSION
And PRAY for those
Struggling families
LOOKING FOR SECURITY


Just like=
They were the HOLY FAMILY


In Jesus' name=and in the name=of our God the FATHER and his HOLY FAMILY


Robert P. Wallman
12-28-19




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.