Relentless Compassion

I heard this term recently. It was a quality attributed to my brother who works in a cancer hospital, helping those who face significant medical challenges, especially in their last weeks. ‘Relentless’ was absolutely a term I would see in him, but for the first time I heard the term ‘relentless compassion’ and whilst the two words sit somewhat uncomfortably adjacent each other, they are indeed an apt descriptor.

As Christians we are called to show compassion, there are so many reminders in Scripture and Church Teachings, compassion is everywhere in the Christian landscape. Perhaps we are, at times, complacently compassionate and need to find that grit that drives relentless compassion.

What would relentless compassion look like on you?

Opportunity

In preparing a prayer for a session focused on Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, I reflected on her industrious efforts to create opportunity for those who were not naturally afforded it in society at the time. Education opens doors, and not all were receiving one. In drawing parallels to today I thought about the way in which we judge, assume and limit each other. I remembered a video shown by a colleague at a previous place of a woman with a physical disability playing a fiddle with amazing skill. I wondered how much harder she had to battle for the opportunity to play because others saw a limit rather than her capacity. Will we ever get this fixed in society so that we all have opportunity? Or will we need more Mary MacKillops to emerge willing to do a lot of hard work so that opportunity knocks on more doors?

Empowerment

It’s a big word – empowerment – but it is the one that leaps out at me when I think of the significance of fathers in the lives of daughters, or indeed children. We need fathers who not only protect and provide, but those who empower children to be the wonderful person that lies in the depths of their soul.

Empowerment, from a Catholic perspective, is deeply rooted in the belief that every person is created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). This means that each child carries within them the divine spark, a unique reflection of God’s love and creativity. The role of a father, then, is not merely to guide or provide for his children, but to help them recognize and nurture that divine potential within themselves.

What is empowering? To be given opportunity is one of the key elements. To be encouraged. To be able to fail. Opportunity. Encouragement. Freedom. These 3 things really underpin the gift of empowerment. In the Gospels, we see Jesus empowering those around Him, especially those whom society overlooked or marginalized. He saw their worth, encouraged their faith, and gave them the freedom to follow Him, even if it meant stepping into the unknown.

While all children need to be empowered to be fully human and the best they can be, we especially need our daughters to feel this gift in their hearts. As Catholics, we believe that Mary, the Mother of God, was the first to be empowered in a profound way—when she accepted God’s will and became the mother of Jesus. Her “yes” was an act of immense courage and faith, and she stands as a model for all women of what it means to embrace one’s God-given potential.

I remain remarkably inspired by the TED talk by Ziauddin Yousafzai on his remarkable daughter, you may have heard of her, the one who won a Nobel Peace Prize (just a little award)! Malala remains one of my heroes of our current age and I will always be in awe of her abject courage and strength. Listening to her father gave me rich insight into how this young girl emerged as a force ready to confront the Taliban.

This being said, we need to empower greatness, bravery, insight, intelligence, kindness, and compassion—virtues that reflect the heart of God. In doing so, we must also be vigilant not to empower apathy, cruelty, selfishness, or greed, which lead us away from our true selves and from God. In their unique role, parents and caregivers have the incredible responsibility and privilege to shape the souls entrusted to them, guiding them to reflect the light of Christ in the world.

Discipleship

What does it mean to be a true disciple? To really follow Christ?

There are so many versions of Christianity on this planet. We find one, are born into one, choose one – sometimes all in one lifetime. So many versions of this one significant person as we aspire to be more like him in our daily interactions, growing and evolving in grace and dignity.

History tells us that discipleship does not limit our capacity to fail. It is a cycle of aspiration, failure and resurrection. The one thing that seems to be common (although it looks vastly different) is prayer. How can you be a disciple without prayer?

So, therefore, in trying to be a good disciple we should look at our own prayer life. Find inspirational writings to motivate, listen to the silence and move our feet that our lungs take in the air that surrounds us all. Without oxygen our human bodies fail – without the spirit what happens to our soul? How do you take this in? What is the air that sustains your soul?

To whom do we listen?

In the readings this weekend the responsorial psalm, gospel acclamation and gospel all reference sheep and shepherds.

‘The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.’

Shepherds ensured that their sheep were well-nourished and protected. They made sure the health of the sheep was attended to and the sheep were free to live a comfortable life. To be a shepherd in the time of Jesus, was a humble job, but necessary for the community. Sheep were a valuable resource and needed protecting. They were also known to blindly follow other sheep, and so the voice of the shepherd was really important. This leads to the Gospel Acclamation:

My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me.

We hear so much noise in our daily lives. Some randomly appears in our vicinity, but some we seek out. In our scrolling we put ourselves in a position where people that perhaps we would never search for, gain access to our minds as we listen to their ramblings. Often the words we take in do not bring us any growth or learnings, simply they eat away at our goodness and health, making us question what we know deep within. Is this because we are forever looking for a connection that we think is missing? First, we need to connect with ourselves, before any other bond can be formed and strengthened. Without direction, we are indeed like sheep without a shepherd, mindlessly following and friending with little to no discernment.

So important to be known. A lot of the issues in our world, especially with regards to how we view ourselves, is bound up in the sense of loneliness – that no-one really knows us. God knows us. We forget that sometimes. It is important to keep that memory fresh and to let it sit in the space within we often call our heart. There is a comfort there, in that thought. A peace.

For there to be peace without, there must be peace within.

Intentional

How intentional are we on a daily basis?

We don’t need to be calculating or manipulative, but we are called to be intentionally excellent with all our gifts and talents, with all the love within the fibre of our being, with our words and our deeds. I’d like to add to this our thoughts.

We need to be intentional in what we take in to our minds, that our thoughts – which will become our words and deeds – are intentionally positive and life-affirming. When I think of all the random things I read or watch, that pop-up on my facebook feed I realise I am not intentional enough. These things are ok in moderation but should not constitute the bulk of what I take in. I will certainly be more intentional in what I read and view from today (at least for a while – flawed human that I am).

Choices. If we think of the Parable of the Good Samaritan – the Samaritan was a person who made choices. In it we see the importance of genuine compassion and mercy, showing that true ‘neighbourliness’ is defined by intentional acts of kindness and care, regardless of social or ethnic boundaries.

At the end of the day reflect on your own intentions? Did they form your day? If not – what will you do differently tomorrow?

NAIDOC Week

Here i

In Australia it is NAIDOC week.

It is important, for us, to acknowledge the past. This is true for all humans globally. Here in Australia, we need to consider the Aboriginal Australians and the history that exists.

The truth is, history exists, and it is not pretty. We need to be better. We need to do more so that future generations have equal opportunities. It is a complex equation to be honest.

I was really humbled watching the start of one of the netball games this round, the second First Nations round. Firebirds v Lightning. Both teams have one Aboriginal player, thus making this round extra-special. Watching the start my heart was touched. It is not right that there are young women who have less opportunities than others because they are Aboriginal. We may like to say we have fixed this, but the statistics lie. We need players to stand up who say yes I am Aboriginal and yes I am an amazing netball player, such as Wallam and MiMi.

From a mathematical perspective, I suggest it will be a while before we see a change. Here we have a minority of a minority. Women are a minority when it comes to power, and Aborigines are a minority. There is much work to do. Real work. Not box-ticking work, but genuine and real work that matters. So go out and do it.

Just to be

In recent media there have been statements around netball and racism, I’m going to be clear – it was the letter shared by a netballer that she had received. Typically, I don’t read the comments on those articles, but today, for whatever reason, I did.

On one hand it was interesting to read the two perspectives, after all there are usually more than one take on any moment in time. What many of the comments were focused on circled around a sense of ‘this isn’t racism’. So I googled a few definitions of racism just to have it clarified in my own mind. I could rephrase and say was the letter antagonistic because of the recipient’s race (which is part of the definition of racism)?

Ultimately, I think it is bigger than racism. And to arrive at this I went back to Jesus in the gospels as thinking about racism took me to sexism and exclusion in my mental processes and I thought what would the great includer do or say about this? (not that I can answer that – I’m merely sharing my thought process). It seems to me that a person has decided they have a right to impact on a person and how they be the person they are called to be. Obviously, I am not saying a person can do whatever they want – we have laws etc and hopefully some moral standing generally accepted in society. But this was a woman who did not ‘rally the troops’ but simply made a stand for herself and her mob. She has the right (within the parameters of the law) to be who she is. One could argue that the woman who wrote the letter also has the right. It is an interesting situation to reflect on. I’m not taking sides here – I think ultimately it reminds me that we need to understand that freedom involves being who you are, this is the great gift of freedom – that you can be who you are.

There was a significant amount of that letter that I would suggest lacked kindness and compassion and understanding. Was it racism? For that I am not sure. But perhaps it is a timely reminder that we need to be – just to be. This is the greatest gift. Maybe we need to think about how what we do can impact another’s ability to be – for humanity best excels when we all strive to be the best version of self.

If the gospels taught me one big thing it is that we need to try to be the best version of humanity we can. Our best versions look after each other and our world, not tear them down.

Pause

Finding a pause is an important, but all too challenging skill in this hectic world in which we race. Pausing renders the person a moment. Sometimes we really need that moment, even if we do nothing with it and have no significant thoughts within it. Pausing heals deep within, even when we do not know what is broken. Pausing is that re-connecting with the infinite, the divine other.

Find a pause today.

Forgiveness

Recently, I ran a retreat for Year 12s and at the end the focus of our liturgy is forgiveness and reconciliation. For me personally, forgiveness is a challenge. I find it hard to run with the word. Let’s face it – our experiences colour our lens significantly. Too many times I have heard others pretentiously talk about forgiving and moving on, as if it were a badge to wear. This has, I realise, tainted my relationship with the word – forgive.

Forgiveness is a courageous act that takes strength. Look at what God forgives in us! We can but aspire to imitate his infinite love and to try – daily – to find that courage and strength to truly forgive. I think that forgiveness is not really understood (or perhaps it is something I don’t really understand). There is something about forgiveness that is healing, and it is something we need to turn inwards to ourselves.

There are people in the world who have done amazing and ground-breaking work in forgiveness – people like Azim Khamisa – whose stories are so powerful and inspirational. If you have not read about this – my recommendation is to google it. Well worth the read.

I feel like there is so more to understand about forgiveness. We need to remember that our experience of a person does not define that person, it is a moment, or many moments, but it is not the entirety of the person. Then this needs to be balanced with accountability. How do you do that? In a way a part of forgiveness (internalised) is understanding that accountability does not lie with one person – we need to create systems and structures that support this. We can be forgiven but we also need to face the consequences of our actions. Too often I see pride, excuses and avoidance instead of humility.

After all, in the Catholic church we have ritualised forgiveness as a Sacrament. It is a Sacrament that we can access many times. Penance, albeit not a typically difficult act, is given after each visit to the confessional. Acknowledgement, true sorrow, a desire to do better and not to sin again, a humble willingness to atone – all combine in this sacrament. It is so much more than an apology.

Humility emerges when we forgive and when we are forgiven. Don’t you feel so humble when the person you have wronged does not condemn you but forgives you? As a collective race of beings how do we balance that generosity of forgiveness with responsibility?