Compassionate Action

Courtesy of Dave Allen Photography



Thought For The Day

"Tuning in to the needs and feelings of another person is a prerequisite to empathy which in turn can lead to understanding, concern and, if the circumstances are right, compassionate action," according to Daniel Goleman, an author, psychologist and science journalist.

I read this quote recently in a story about empathy in The New York Times and it caught my attention.

Compassionate action.

 

It reminds me of the Jesuit concept of social justice, which is acting on something you may see or feel that is happening to another person and then getting involved to try to change it for the better.  

 

To me, compassionate action means not only putting yourself into another person's feelings but feeling it to the point that you want to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, or suffering a loss of some sort.

 

It's something to think about.

 

 

 

 

Jesuit Motivation

When my son was in the midst of deciding where he wanted to go to college, Fordham University was near the top of his list.  But he was stuck between Fordham and another school and couldn't make a decision.

Trying to help him, I played the role of Devil's Advocate:  "You are getting ready to graduate from a Jesuit high school and now you are thinking of attending a Jesuit university?  Aren't you sick of the Jesuits?  Don't you want to get out of the box and spread your wings in a different atmosphere?"

My son didn't miss a beat and replied, "Mom, the Jesuits are so smart.  You have no idea how great it is to be in their classrooms.  They are always saying to us: 'Don't tell me what you think I want to hear.  Tell me what you think.'  I love that challenge and they make you really think about an issue, not regurgitate it, when you start to talk about it."

Needless to say, he choose Fordham and had another excellent educational experience of being taught by the Jesuits, only this time in the Bronx and in Manhattan.  I hold the Jesuits in a special place in my heart for their leadership in education as well as their community outreach and social justice work. 

Whether you are Catholic or not, I hope the following quote from the founder of the Jesuits will motivate you (and me) to do our best today and to think about what is happening in our world and what we can do to improve our global community or our neighborhoods and work places:

"GO FORTH AND SET THE WORLD ON FIRE"

                      ~ ST. IGNATIUS LOYOLA