Fr. Marvin’s Reflection - June 14, 2026

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals His merciful Heart as He is moved with compassion for the crowds because they were “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” At this point in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has already healed a paralytic, restored a woman suffering from a hemorrhage, raised the daughter of an official, given sight to two blind men, and freed a mute person from demonic oppression. Yet the crowds continue to follow Him, longing to be healed and restored both physically and spiritually.

What more can our Lord do? In His love, He extends His mission by entrusting His Apostles with authority to heal the sick, cast out demons, and proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand. The compassion of Christ is so great that He chooses to work through His disciples, making them instruments of His mercy for a world in need. The Lord entrusts them with the responsibility to go out to the lost sheep of Israel and bring them back to the fold.  

We too are called by God to help establish His Kingdom here on earth by bringing His healing, mercy, and compassion to others. While most of us may not be called to physically heal the sick or cast out demons, we are all called to confront the forces of sin, despair, and darkness that wound the human heart. We do this by caring for the poor, comforting the suffering, defending the vulnerable, and reaching out to those who feel forgotten or abandoned.  As disciples of Christ, we cannot ignore the cries of those who are desperately in need of God’s tender mercy. The Lord continues to look upon the crowds with compassion, and He desires to work through us as His hands, feet, and heart in the world.

Today, let us ask ourselves: Do I see others with the compassionate eyes of Christ, or have I become indifferent to their suffering? Who in my life is longing for God’s mercy, healing, or encouragement? And how is the Lord calling me to be an instrument of His love and compassion today?

In Christ,    

Fr. Marvin