June 16, 2005
A month or two ago, Patrick Gallic, a lay missionary volunteer, called to tell us that he had just sent a man over to the friary. The man was handicapped, he said, and really seemed to be in need. I was hesitant, since we almost never give material assistance to single men. Besides, we were on our way out of the friary on an errand. As we were preparing to pull away in our pickup, we saw the man and were literally stopped in our tracks. Patrick’s description, while accurate, did not convey the full reality of the man’s situation, if any verbal description could. Some time ago the man had been jumped by thieves wielding machetes. They had cut off one of his arms above the elbow and left his other hand and arm severely disabled. There was a scar that stretched from his right temple down to his mouth, crossing over the socket where he once had an eye.
It was unsettling to see this man, José Inez - perhaps only 30 years old, and think about what happened to him. In an agrarian society you need able hands and arms to be able to work and survive. Without them, one is reduced to destitution and dependence. This experience must have been like death or the end of the world for this poor, unfortunate man.
Compassion could be defined as attempting to climb inside the perspective, experience and history of another person. Doing so can help us break out of our own self-centeredness and tendency toward self-pity. Often when I am having a bad day and am tempted to complain, I see a handicapped person slowly and patiently making their way down the street, and I am reminded of how miniscule my struggles really are. Compassion can also preserve us from rash judgment. As Fr. Glenn told us on a recent visit, if we were in the place of another person, who is perhaps trying to deceive or manipulate us, we would probably not do the same, we would do worse!
Finally, of course, compassion is a quality of God Himself upon which we rely for mercy, and which His Son Jesus Christ commands us to imitate: “Be compassionate, as your Father is compassionate” (Luke 9:36).
Fr. Herald J. Brock, CFR
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