I remember in high school one of my religion classes we talked about compassion and what it really meant. I have a vague memory of learning the concept earlier in my life but for some reason it was then that we began to pick it apart. I had learned a couple of years earlier about the distinction between sympathy (feeling for) and empathy (feeling with). Compassion is defined as “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.” It is rooted in the latin word, compati which means to suffer with. It is also has the word passion which has several definitions: strong emotion, intense sexual love, enthusiasm, and the suffering of Christ. Its root is pati which means to suffer. From my experience compassion is about coming to the suffering. Coming with comfort and understanding and placing ourselves in the heart of the other person. Being in compassion requires us to not get out of ourselves but to bring ourselves fully to another. When we connect with other human beings we have a variety of experiences but what we are experiencing is not happening outside of ourselves. It is easy to blame what we are experiencing on the other person or situation and sometimes it seems fitting . Ultimately, when we do that we deny ourselves the opportunity to draw closer to the Creation of God that we are called to know and be present to most intimately. We talk of intimacy with others but what if it is “into me I see.” When we have been there we can connect with those who are there on a level that transcends experience because we are part of One in that moment. There is no separation of us and them. We tend to think that suffering is bad, but what if suffering simply means stepping out of our ego and into the heart of God? It feels bad because our ego wants so much to hold on to the illusion that we are separate. But anyone who has ever been there to comfort someone in suffering knows there is no separation. My prayer for us today is that we be open to bringing comfort to our suffering–the parts of ourselves that we want to hide from God and recognize that God is already there and happy that we have decided to join in bringing more love to wherever we are today. Make it a great one! Peace~Colleen
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