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At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36

As Jesus went “to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness” (Matthew 9:35), He was moved with deep compassion for the crowds. The Greek verb splagchnizomai is often translated as “moved with pity” or “moved with compassion.” It appears twelve times in the Gospels—eight times describing Jesus’ own compassion and four times illustrating divine mercy in parables or related contexts (the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Unforgiving Servant, and the plea of a father for his demon-possessed son). This verb conveys not just an emotional response but a profound stirring of His entire being, compelling Him to act with divine mercy—engaging His mind, will, body, and emotions.

Understanding this verb is essential because it unveils the very heart of Christ’s mission, where His divine mercy is fully manifest in His humanity. Though His mercy originates in His divinity, He fully lived and expressed it in His human nature, allowing it to consume Him entirely and drive Him to shepherd His people.

Jesus’ all-consuming compassion should profoundly console us. God does not love us out of mere divine obligation; His love is deeply personal, intimate, and relentless. He is not distant or impersonal, aloof in His perfection. In Christ, God’s mercy is made visible—His human heart is stirred to action, doing everything He can to draw us closer to Himself. This is why His compassion is such a source of reassurance: He is not a distant or angry God, standing far off to condemn. Rather, He is the God who, in Christ, allows Himself to be consumed with mercy, driven by compassion, and moved to act for the salvation of each one of us.

That same profound mercy continues to flow from the Sacred Heart today. In Heaven, Christ’s human heart remains inseparably united to His divinity, pouring forth the love of the Father and the Holy Spirit upon the world. His compassion is made present to us through His Church, especially in the Sacraments and in the lives of saintly men and women. This same compassion must become the driving force behind all we do for the Kingdom. We are called to be His living instruments of mercy, reflecting His Sacred Heart in our actions, words, and love for others—so that each of us might be reassured of God’s unfailing love.

We see in today’s Gospel that Jesus’ compassion moved Him to send out twelve of His disciples as His Apostles, entrusting them with His divine authority to proclaim the Kingdom of God, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons. They were to be His chosen instruments of mercy, reaching out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel—those in dire need of God’s truth and healing grace.

Today, Jesus sends each of us forth in a unique way to be a beacon of light and mercy to others. He first calls us to love those closest to us—our family and friends—not in an ordinary way, but in a radical self-giving that mirrors His own love. We must allow our whole beings to be moved with divine compassion for them, reassuring them of both our love and God’s love. But our mission cannot end there. After loving our families, we must extend that same compassion to all whom God places in our lives, offering the same depth of mercy that filled Jesus’ Sacred Heart long ago.

Reflect today on Jesus’ divine compassion from two perspectives. First, gaze at His overflowing love for you. There is no way to overestimate that love. Second, allow that love to transform you so that His mercy flows through you into the lives of others. Do not hold back the love of God—let it pour forth freely and abundantly. Let His divine compassion move your entire being so that you become a true instrument of His mercy, drawing souls to Him through the power of love and all-consuming compassion.

Most loving Lord, when You gazed upon the people of Israel’s troubles and abandonment, Your Sacred Heart was stirred with deep compassion. Pour forth that same compassion upon me, O Lord, and make me an instrument of Your mercy in the lives of others. Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: The mosiac of Sermon on the mount in church

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