Tag Archives: Compassion
Christianity and Buddhism: Weekly Summary
Christianity and Buddhism Saturday, November 13, 2021 Week Forty-Five Summary and Practice Sunday, November 7—Friday, November 12, 2021 Sunday Buddhism is more a way of knowing and cleaning the lens of perception than a theistic religion concerned with metaphysical “God” questions. —Richard Rohr Monday The antidote for the ignorance that causes suffering is to wake… Continue Reading Christianity and Buddhism: Weekly Summary
Accepting What Is
Christianity and Buddhism Accepting What Is Wednesday, November 10, 2021 Father Richard has often said that transformation mostly comes through great love and great suffering. The First Noble Truth of Buddhism shows how accepting the inescapable nature of suffering can lead to greater freedom. Kaira Jewel Lingo, a former Buddhist nun in Thich Nhat Hanh’s… Continue Reading Accepting What Is
Compassion: Weekly Summary
Compassion Saturday, October 2, 2021 Week Thirty-Nine Summary and Practice Sunday, September 26—Friday, October 1, 2021 Sunday Much of the early work of contemplation is discovering a way to observe ourselves from a compassionate and nonjudgmental distance until we can eventually live more and more of our lives from this calm inner awareness and acceptance.… Continue Reading Compassion: Weekly Summary
Cultivating Compassion
Compassion Cultivating Compassion Friday, October 1, 2021 Sadly, but understandably, the virtue of compassion is more closely associated with Buddhism than Christianity in some people’s minds. If we want to change that, we might learn from Buddhist teachers like Tara Brach who offer us a broad definition of compassion that we can build upon. She… Continue Reading Cultivating Compassion
Common-Sense Compassion
Compassion Common-Sense Compassion Thursday, September 30, 2021 In this homily, Fr. Richard reflects on the well-known story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–35), a parable Jesus used to teach us what common-sense compassion looks like in our everyday lives. This is probably the most well-known of all Jesus’ parables, probably because the lesson of compassion… Continue Reading Common-Sense Compassion
Our Compassionate God
Compassion Our Compassionate God Wednesday, September 29, 2021 CAC core faculty member James Finley gently reminds us of our infinite preciousness to God. God cannot help but meet us with compassionate love. Offering ourselves compassion is one step to encountering the depths of God’s compassion for us. Compassion is the love that recognizes and goes… Continue Reading Our Compassionate God
Smelling like the Sheep
Compassion Smelling like the Sheep Tuesday, September 28, 2021 A compassionate presence is one of the fruits of contemplation. In Richard Rohr’s book Eager to Love, he writes about the great compassion of St. Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) for others, which is inspired by the great compassion of Jesus. The most obvious change that results… Continue Reading Smelling like the Sheep
Compassion as Steadfast Love
Compassion Compassion as Steadfast Love Monday, September 27, 2021 Quaker author Richard Foster has long written on themes of prayer and spiritual practice. Focusing on the Hebrew word hesed, Foster explores the many ways that compassion shows up in the Hebrew Bible, both in God and in how people relate to one another: [The Hebrew… Continue Reading Compassion as Steadfast Love
Contemplation Creates Compassion
Compassion Contemplation Creates Compassion Sunday, September 26, 2021 A practice of contemplation is one of the surest ways to develop the virtue of compassion—for both ourselves and others. Father Richard speaks to how this loving gaze is developed between ourselves and God. Much of the early work of contemplation is discovering a way to observe… Continue Reading Contemplation Creates Compassion
Lost in the Secret of God’s Face
Living in God’s Great Story Lost in the Secret of God’s Face Wednesday, September 1, 2021 In an episode of his podcast Turning to the Mystics, James Finley shares how he first encountered the work of Thomas Merton (1915–1968) and how it changed the course of his life. He says: When I was at home… Continue Reading Lost in the Secret of God’s Face