Jesus cares! Jesus understands! And he is not trapped by his own problems. He wants to give us the compassion for which we long. In difficult times like these he wants to give us his love!
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.
Are we brokenhearted? "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Do we feel like things in life are unsustainable, careening toward disaster? "The LORD sustains the lowly". All we need to do is wait for him because "Blessed are all who wait for the Lord." Even if we feel that we are already completely ruined, even if our efforts have been spent in a thousand directions without any real return, "The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; the dispersed of Israel he gathers. "
He meets us with compassion and understanding in every Mass.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
He gives us the bread of his own flesh. He gives us the water of his own Spirit. Even in the midst of desolation the Spirit enables us to see in the appearance of bread the compassion and love we seek. The Spirit opens our eyes to see Jesus himself.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
When we go forward to receive him we too hear "from behind, a voice" which says, "This is the way; walk in it," when distractions would turn us aside. When our own faith is too weak to perceive Jesus the Spirit teaches us to fix our eyes on the teacher. He centers us and impels us onward.
We feel a desert within. We experience desolation and sadness. But look! We have rain for the soil, an abundant harvest, and spacious meadows. Streams of living water flow from every mountain. The Spirit is abundant wherever we are willing to drink. Let's jump in headlong. The Spirit descends on us and where once there was only our own weakness we now hear a voice testifying to Jesus, a voice guiding us into all truth (cf. Joh. 16:13). He speaks from behind us, guiding us along the path of life.
Jesus gives us the bread we need and the water for which we thirst. But if we see mere bread and only water which leaves us thirsty we need to cry out to him. If we just cry out to him he will be gracious and "as soon as he hears he will answer". He does not want to be hidden behind the appearance of bread and wine. He gives us the bread we need because of the compassion and love he has for us. He wants us to see him. He wants to give us with which to gaze. He wants us to keep gazing until faith finally gives way to sight, until "with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,"
It is because of this compassion and love that Jesus gives the Twelve his own authority and sends them to preach and to heal. Jesus sends us as well. We are called to not only receive this comfort but to use it to in turn comfort others. He "comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God" (2 Cor. 1:4). He gives it to us without asking for anything in return. Let us be generous, therefore, in sharing it.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
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