YOU FEED THEM - COMPASSION IN OUR WORLD TODAY

Fr Luke A Veronis

Compassion. A powerful word but a more powerful action. And this is what we hear about in today’s Gospel story. Jesus sees a crowd—not just a mass of people but individuals who have needs and struggles, pain and suffering, sickness and confusion. Jesus sees this in the individuals and His heart is moved.

He doesn’t turn them away. He doesn’t retreat to His own comfort. He doesn’t simply offer a spiritual message and forget about their physical needs. He steps into their suffering. He heals. He feeds.

He offers physical bread to nourish their bodies as He offers His spiritual Presence to feed their souls. He offers a miracle of feeding 5000 but not simply with bread but with love.

And through this Jesus offers a model for us to imitate. The Greek word used for "compassion" means to be moved from the deepest part of our being. It’s not offering pity but active mercy, a love that suffers with and acts for others.

And so, today’s Gospel story of the Feeding of the 5000 challenges us to look at others the way Christ looked at the crowd. Are we moved by the suffering of the world all around us or have we become numb and indifferent? Have we allowed our hearts to break when we see the anguish and torment of others?

Today, there are crowds all around us—and their cries still rise to heaven. In Gaza every day, we see countless innocent civilians - many of them women and children - caught in the midst of war, facing starvation. Imagine being a mother trying to feed your child and yet seeing them die of malnutrition. Where is our compassion for them.

What about those suffering in Ukraine? And in South Sudan? And the other places of war and violence we don't even hear about in the news?

Our country is made up of immigrants and yes, there are many immigrants who have entered this country illegally. Many are fleeing violence, poverty, and political danger. Some are criminals and have committed terrible crimes. Millions have lived peaceably in this country for many years, some from their childhood into adulthood, and yet they now fear the future with uncertainty, and are treated in an inhumane manner, ignored or rejected by society.

Whether or not we agree on political policy, the Gospel does not allow us to ignore their humanity. Masses of suffering often become simply a number, and we forget that each one of these people was created in the image and likeness of God. They are our brothers and sisters.

Christ’s compassion was never conditional. He didn’t show compassion only to those people who were worthy. He simply saw their suffering and responded with love.

St. John Chrysostom challenges us: “If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.”

When the disciples see the hungry crowds, they say, “Send them away.” But Jesus corrected them and say, “You give them something to eat.” This is a turning point. Christ puts the responsibility of compassion into the hands of His followers.

In the same way, Christ is asking us today: How are we feeding the hungry? What are we doing to heal the broken? Are we welcoming the stranger and seeing the face of God in each person? Will we comfort the refugee, the prisoner, the immigrant, or even those we may perceive as the enemy?

When we read about the suffering of the innocent women and children in Gaza, or in Ukraine, or South Sudan, will we treat them as a number or will we try to get involved by supporting the work of the IOCC or some other international humanitarian agency that tries to relieve the suffering?

You and I may not have the power to stop wars or rewrite laws. But we can offer bread, presence, and love in our daily lives. And God can multiply what we offer—just as He multiplied five loaves and two fish.

The Orthodox faith is not merely about beautiful liturgies or theological precision. It is about imitating Jesus Christ in the compassion He showed to the crowds. St. Silouan the Athonite said: “The person filled with the Holy Spirit will show compassion for all people.”

St. Paisios would often weep over the suffering of people he had never met, saying, ““Love for others should never be limited only to our family, but should embrace all of humanity.”

So how do we live this out?

• Will we pray daily and remember those in war zones, refugees, and displaced persons by name and region.
• Can we generously support humanitarian aid agencies like the IOCC or OCMC or Project Mexico who serve in these difficult places.
• Let us speak up in our community, not with anger, but with clarity and love, demanding that our politicians uphold the dignity of all people.
• In your own town, can we look for the crowds among us - the lonely neighbor, the undocumented worker, the teenager struggling with identity and fear and show compassion – active mercy – to all those in need.

Some may say, “But I only have a little—just five loaves and two fish.” Good. Offer this to the Lord. That’s all He needs.

Let us offer our heart. Offer our time. Offer our attention to those whom the world ignores or turns into a number. Christ never looked at the masses but saw individuals lost, hungry and in need. And remember, He will take whatever we may offer, and bless it, break it, and multiply it.

Today, the Gospel calls us to imitate Christ in His compassion. Let us not be like the disciples who said, “Send them away.” Let us not be like those who thought they had too little. Instead, let us listen to our Lord as He says to us, “Bring whatever you have to Me and I will multiply it and feed the people.”