Readings: Exodus 19:2-6; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36-10:8
Theme: The Compassion of Jesus
By: Fr Michael McCabe SMA
God’s tender love and compassion for his creatures is the dominant theme of our Mass readings today. In our first reading from the book of Exodus, God’s loving care for the people of Israel is conveyed in a beautiful image: ‘I bore you up on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself’ (Ex 19:4). The appropriateness of this image came home to me recently, as I was strolling along by the Atlantic pond near our house in Blackrock Road, Cork, and noticed a mother swan carrying her baby swans on her back. I was immediately captivated by this sight, as were several other people who were walking nearby. It was a striking example of motherly love and care. Later, I was informed that, while eagles do not carry their young on their back, as swans do, when the young eaglets are learning to fly, the mother eagle flies under them with her wings spread out to catch them in case they fall.
When the Israelites became discouraged as they wandered through the wilderness of Sinai, following their miraculous escape from Egypt, they needed to be reminded that God, who had intervened to facilitate their escape, would never desert them. So, God commands Moses to tell them: ‘You have seen what I did, how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself. From this you know that now, if you obey my voice and hold fast to my covenant, you of all the nations shall be my very own, for all the earth is mine. I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation’ (Ex 19:4-6). We, too, need to hear those same words of encouragement, especially when we feel threatened by forces outside our control, like the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, which, as Pope Leo XIV has reminded us in his first Encyclical Letter, Magnifica Humanitas, threatens to erode our humanity and subvert our inherent dignity as children of God.
In our second reading, St Paul underlines the unconditional quality of God’s loving care for us. God’s love, says Paul, is not like that of people who only love those who deserve it, or who might be prepared to give their lives for those they consider worthy of such a gesture. Just how different, and infinitely greater, is the love of God is shown by the fact that he sent his Son to die for us while we were still sinners (cf. Rm 5:8). Paul encourages us not to let ourselves become slaves to our fears and doubts, but to be filled with ‘joyful trust in God’ (Rm 5:11). Just imagine, he says, that if God loved us when we were estranged from him, how much more will he love us now that we have been made citizens of his Kingdom? Our weaknesses and sins can never be stronger than his love. While we may be tempted to give up on God, he will never abandon us.
Our gospel reading from Matthew highlights the empathy of Jesus for the people he encountered in his ministry. The English expression ‘he felt sorry for them’ (Mt 9:36) doesn’t come close to capturing the depth of his feeling for their pain and suffering. Far from observing the pitiable conditions of the people – ‘harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd’ (Mt 9:36) – with detachment or disinterest, he was moved from the depths of his heart to respond to their plight. He knows that the political leaders and the religious authorities of his time have no real concern for them. Their focus is on maintaining their privileged positions and feathering their own nests, while neglecting the hungry, the sick, and the oppressed of the land. Not so with Jesus. He identifies with their sufferings. And his compassion leads him, not only to embark on a personal ministry of healing and hope, but also to choose and select twelve of his disciples to collaborate with him in this mission.
The mission on which Jesus sends his twelve chosen disciples, is an extension of his own ministry: ‘Go and proclaim the message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons’ (Mt 10:7-8). The demons and illnesses symbolise everything that erodes our humanity (Mt 9:35). The authority that Jesus confers on the twelve is an authority, not over people, but over evil. It is the liberating power of his word, which can destroy evil and transform us and the world in which we live. As disciples of Jesus, we, too, are called and sent to continue his mission of healing and hope in the world of our time.
The gospel reading concludes with the directive of Jesus to his apostles: ‘You received without charge, give without charge’ (Mt 10:8). These words remind us that we, too, are called to be instruments in the service of their Lord, and not to seek fame or personal enrichment. Our task is well expressed in the words of a contemporary hymn: ‘Freely, freely you have received; freely, freely give. Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live.’ This remains our constant challenge.
Listen to an alternative audio Homily by Tom Casey, SMA: