Fr. Rick’s One Minute Homily for Tuesday after Epiphany

January 7, 2025, Mark 6: 34-44
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010725.cfm

One And the Same Heart for People. 

When was the last time you were moved with pity for someone? Think back to that moment when someone’s suffering stabbed you in the middle of your heart like you couldn’t help it. Your compassion for them may have even shocked you. A dear friend told me that they caught COVID-19. My immediate reaction was, “OH NO.” Then I said, “Tell me about it.” We may feel that alarm and “pity” even more with a family member, and we drop everything to help them in any way we can. 

Jesus was “Moved with pity” for the crowd who followed Him for three days. They had nothing to eat the whole time. Pity denotes a sense of looking down on someone and feeling sorry for them. It’s more about how we feel than what they are experiencing.

Jesus was moved with compassion. It was like they had Covid, and He got it. He intentionally embraced their hunger pains as His own.  Here is the key to the healing power of Jesus. Jesus felt the pain of everyone in that crowd of thousands. He experiences the pain of everyone we encounter who is suffering. He does that in us. 

Gospel Challenge:

Feel the pain of someone in your heart like it was a family member. At that moment, your heart and the heart of Jesus are one heart. We pray for them, “Oh Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.” Carry them in your heart the rest of the day, trusting Jesus to do His thing. It will be more than we could ever do.   A little caring can change the life of a person forever.  

 Love Your Neighbor! 

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC 

 www.bscchurch.com