1. The Compassionate Way of Jesus

2. For Catholics, justice is the central part of Christian faith. A full response to Jesus requires more than just believing in him, praying to him and going to church – although those are essential parts of Christian faith. Truly following Jesus means actually living justly.

3. The Incarnation: This is the Son of God becoming human in the person of Jesus. This means that Jesus is 100% human and 100% divine (a true mystery of faith). This is important to us because it means that Jesus experienced the same feelings and emotions that we experience. He suffered pain in the same way we feel pain.

4. The Kingdom of God: The kingdom of God is not an earthly place, in fact it isn’t a place at all. The Kingdom of God is the way things are when the decision to love becomes more important than other things in peoples’ lives. If all people acted out of love, the Kingdom could be achieved on earth, but it is not completely here yet because people still act out of indifference or selfishness. We must overcome selfishness in our lives before the Kingdom can be achieved. The Kingdom is not just a personal state, but rather a social state structured around love and justice.

5. The Beatitudes: Imagine society is Jesus’ time as a pyramid. Priests were at the top; then men; women were below men; then foreigners. Sinners, the poor and the sick were near the bottom of the pyramid.

6. Part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount contains the Beatitudes. These Beatitudes turn this pyramid upside down – and calls it love. Jesus explains that God especially loves the poor, suffering and the oppressed, not because they are better but because they need God’s love the most. Jesus calls these people blessed because their experience teaches them the importance of love and understanding. This is a lesson that the more wealthy and comfortable people have difficulty accepting and understanding.

7. Therefore, the reality of the Beatitudes – connected to the Kingdom of God – says that the least will be first. Jesus broke many barriers by showing us how to include people who are often left outside the mainstream (i.e. women, the sick, sinners, powerful people, and our enemies).

8. Journal Entry on Compassion “Pick up artist makes a clean sweep.” Which of the responses to suffering is Mark Giesbrecht following? How is he doing what Jesus asked in terms of “Love your neighbor”? What does Mark Giesbrecht say is his “dream”? How is he following the path of social justice?