‘Allow compassion to be the lens of your heart’

In 2022 we have been asked to look closely at the way we view our world. Our Year 12 Student Leaders have formulated this year’s College theme around the Kildare Ministries’ Value of Compassion and they invite us to look through our heart to find ways that we can be clearly and dearly present to those who suffer in our world today.

The concept of ‘looking through the lens of your heart’ comes from a variety of published quotations of statements from Pope Francis. Pope Francis, a staunch advocate for the rights of the poor, has asked us on many occasions to ensure that our world is a place that includes everyone and a place where everyone is given an equal opportunity to participate meaningfully in the world today. Pope Francis asks us not to turn away and be indifferent to the poor. He asks us to be compassionate as… Compassion is the language of God.

One of the great examples of scripture that you may hear a few times this year is the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This is probably one of the best scripture stories for us to focus and learn what Jesus wanted us to know about living out the value of compassion in our everyday lives.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan can be found in the Gospel of Luke (10: 25 – 37)

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

The lens of the heart is a real thing.

“We are not responsible for what our eyes are seeing. We are responsible for how we perceive what we are seeing.” ~Gabrielle Bernstein

So I think what is being asked of us in this coming school year is for us to consider how we perceive what we see in the world around us. How do we see the ‘other’ who is vulnerable and hurting and in need of our love and compassion. We are asked to consider… what are we prepared to do about it?

Kirrilee Westblade

College Leader - Catholic Identity

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