Homily for the Memorial of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

Although we believe that Jesus was like us in all things, except for sin, the Gospels rarely refer to Jesus' emotions. In today's reading, Matthew notes that when Jesus saw the crowds, "His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd."

Compassion happens when we resonate or identify with the needs of others and are moved to action. In the Gospel, Jesus' compassion for the crowd expressed itself in two ways. First, He told His disciples to pray that God would send workers into His harvest because the troubled and abandoned people needed workers to journey with them and lead them.

Second, Jesus appointed some workers Himself. He summoned twelve disciples and instructed them to proclaim His life-giving message and presence to others.

Do we recognize ourselves in today's Gospel reading? With whom in this reading do we identify?

We may be among those who are troubled and abandoned. For those times, today's Gospel reassures us that the LORD is with us in our time of distress, and He is always drawing near to us in His compassion.

At other times, we may be among the workers whom the LORD sends forth into His harvest to journey with those who are troubled and abandoned. In those times, the Gospel assures us that, in sending us, the LORD will also empower us for the work He is asking us to do.

Let us pray, then, that regardless of our situation in life, we may always feel the LORD's presence within us and around us, and that we may both experience and share with others the compassion of the LORD.