Forgotten how to cry?

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In the 1950’s a new illness was diagnosed called Compassion Fatigue the condition may symptom was characterized by a gradual lessening of compassion. It is a serious problem and people show symptoms of depression.

We can have the same with ourselves when it comes to giving in charity. Sometimes to keep people quiet we may just throw money at people without even thinking about it. Sometimes we do it to appease our conscience or it makes us feel good.

Now I am not saying that we should not give, it is important to keep vital work going both here and abroad, and is in fact part of our Christian duty to give to charity what we can afford but there are other lessons that we can learn from the Gospel we have just heard. 

The Holy Father recently said that there are seems to be a Global indifferentism He says that we are a world that has “ Forgotten how to cry” Like the first people who walked pasted the man who had been beaten up they had been caught up with themselves that they could not see the needs of others. They thought probably that they were holy people because of who they were. They were good at going to worship God in the Temple and the Synagogues but anything more than that was probably just too much for them. They were I suspect good people but were unable to make that final leap to help either because they did not have time or that they just did not want to do it because of religious defilement. These would have been the people that the listeners maybe would have expected to help imagine their surprise when the person that was most disliked among the people at that time a Samaritan did help. For some it would have made uncomfortable listening too that this kind of person did help.

He not only helps but he has great compassion for the person, the Stanger, he spends time with him and offers help on his return journey to pay what is owed. He does not think of himself but of the other he gives what he has and a little more.

The most valuable thing that we have and can give to another person is time. Just yesterday morning as I was walking the dog I met someone who needed help but not from my wallet but that of time human contact human kindness and simple time for another person. It’s about giving that valuable gift of time to another, a stranger, to another human being.

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