Saturday of the First Week of Advent - Cabrini, Guerin, Duchesne, and Cope
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them Because they were troubled and abandoned… Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; So ask the master of the harvest To send out laborers for the harvest.” - Matthew 9:36-38 Compassion is not a uniquely Christian virtue, but it is a spirit of empathy for the suffering of others that is a fundamental part of how we Christians are to love. Ultimately, to have compassion isn’t just about being kind; rather, it means to share in the sufferings of another person. Pope Benedict XVI reflected that the mandate to love one another demands that we “acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God…If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts" ( Message for Lent , 2011) Women religious have always stood with th...