As this letter is being written, our world mourns the tragic Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Stories of death, destruction, loss, sickness, and hardship have filled our television screens, newspapers, and radio broadcasts for weeks. The statistics have been staggering, each day bringing new information to make our mouths drop in disbelief. For all of us who have experienced pain and suffering in some way, we feel a solidarity in our hearts for these people whose lives have been devastated. Our feeling of helplessness in the face of such immense disaster is a natural response to something that lies deep within the human spirit: compassion. This word comes from the Latin compatio: to endure (patior) with (cum). It means to “suffer along with someone,” to endure the pain of the other person, to share in another’s anguish. Though these people who suffer are a world away from us, they are our brothers and sisters; we feel compassion for them. As we look to the Scriptures, the Old Testament shows us how it is God who first demonstrates for us the way of compassion.

The word compassion first appears in the Book of Exodus. We should take note of the context. In Exodus 22, the word appears as part of a continuation of the laws given on Sinai, a narrative that began in Exodus 20. There God spoke about the poor and how they were to be treated. “If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you 'If he cries out to me, I will hear him, for I am compassionate.' (Exodus 22:25) shall not act like a creditor toward him by demanding interest from him. If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset; for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body. What else has he to sleep in? If he cries out to me, I will hear him, for I am compassionate” (Exodus 22:24-25). There is a clear line of connection between the poor and God; God associates with those who are vulnerable, in need, without power and influence. And not only that; but because they are the people of God, the people of God’s covenant, there exists a relationship in which God comes to their defense when the need arises. He “suffers with them” (com - passion) until their cry is heard and acted upon.

Another stunning biblical image is the Hebrew etomology of the word compassion; it comes from the root racham, which refers to a woman’s womb or to the visceral organs of a human body. The child of a mother’s womb carries a unique relationship of love, care, concern, and nurturing. The biblical authors saw a relationship here in the way God cared for those into whom the divine breath of life was given. The Psalmist used this same term to describe God’s love in the person of a child’s father. “As a father has compassion on his children, the LORD has pity on those who revere him; for he knows of what we are made, he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:13-14). A parent knows what compassion is in raising children, being with them in difficult moments, and always remaining their mother or father, regardless of the child’s age. Therein lies a profound image for our reflection on compassion.

Then in the fullness of time, we see how the almighty and gracious God took on our frail flesh and showed the human family the depth of compassion. Jesus “suffered with us” (com-passion) in accepting a mortal body; he endured with us the fragility of the human experience by experiencing betrayal, misunderstanding, and rejection. In the mystery of the Incarnation, God drew the lines of compassion for us to see, to ponder, and to imitate.

Compassion is a theme of sorts in this issue of Tower Topics. On the opposite page is an account of Conception Abbey’s outreach to a family facing the violent death of a loved one. As you turn the pages you will read of Brother Anselm’s vow to become a living sacrament of God’s compassion (see Novice Andrew...) and of my confrere Father Martin’s gracious venture into a new life as pastor at the tender age of 58. Our regular columnist Father Ron Rolheiser (see The inclusive embrace...) bridges ideological chasms with his reflection on the inclusive embrace of Catholicism. And in From a 'trembling womb'... you will find a challenging and thoughtful discussion of compassion from four of our esteemed alumni priests. I hope this issue will enliven within us all a renewed sense of the depths of divine compassion and inspire us to incarnate it in ways that show the footprints of God on the earth today through us.

Sincerely in Christ,

Abbot Gregory J. Polan, OSB

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