By Jonathan Camiolo

 

Every once in a while, someone seems to catch the eye of all humanity because somehow they seem to transcend what we have come to understand as “human”.   Sometimes we think they are more than human because of the way they impact the world around them – Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Pope John Paul II, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela are just some that come to mind.  There are so many more.  Everyday we might meet someone that seems to be “different”, that impacts everyone they come in contact with by the way they care and sincerely live in the moment and make a difference.  They may not be loud, they may not be popular, they may not be very athletic and or “attractive” by the world’s standards, but they are great.  

 

They seem to give us a glance at the divine.  They show us the face of God in a very real way.  They are compassionate, which is divine.  In the first reading, the closing words from the Lord Himself are “…for I am compassionate.”  Maybe we should all try to be a bit more compassionate; it seems to be a key.

 

If you read further, the words of the Gospel are very familiar but they are nothing less than critical to life.  “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment.  The second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”  Those that follow these commandments seem to stand out by their very being, showing us what God intended for us to be like.  

 

The second reading from the writings of St. Paul seems to sum it all up.  “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth
…in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.”   It seems that St. Paul knew people like the heroes of our time.  They can “wow” us all without saying a word simply by the way they live, and the way that they live seems to leave everyone around them speechless.

 

What do you think?  Do you know anyone like that?  Do you think you can be someone like that?  I think its possible for all of us with God’s grace and by following His commands.  Let’s try and see what happens.  The world might just never be the same.  Let’s start with compassion…and see who is left speechless.  Change your habits, change your life.  Help someone change their habits, you will help them change their life!