Newsletter June 14th 2026 / 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Compassion That Leads to Mission: A Reflection for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we move deeper into Ordinary Time, the readings this week invite us to pause and look at the world through the eyes of Jesus. In Matthew 9:36–10:8, we encounter a profound transition: Jesus looks at the crowds, his heart is moved with         compassion, and then he immediately shifts his focus to his disciples to send them out.

Being Moved

· The Gospel tells us that Jesus felt compassion for the people because they were “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” In our own lives, it is easy to become numb to the “crowds.” We see headlines of suffering, neighbours struggling, and the general weariness of a fast-paced world, and our natural impulse is often to shield ourselves or simply look away. But Jesus shows us that true discipleship begins with the heart. We are called to be “moved.” If we aren’t feeling something for the people around us—their anxieties, their loneliness, their search for meaning—we might be missing the very starting point of our faith.

The Divine Commission

· Notice what Jesus does after he feels this compassion. He doesn’t suggest that the disciples merely “feel bad” along with him. He gives them authority. He gives them a mission. He tells them to “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.”

· It is a striking reminder that we are not meant to just be spectators of human suffering. We are meant to be active participants in God’s healing work. Often, we feel unqualified. We think, “I don’t have the power to heal,” or “I don’t know what to say to someone who is hurting.” But Jesus reminds his disciples that they are receiving this gift “without cost.” The healing power doesn’t come from us; it flows through us because we have been chosen and sent.

We are all sent. We are all shepherds in our own small corners of the world.

May we have the courage this week to let our hearts be moved, and may we have the boldness to act on that compassion.