Quotes About Compassion

If there is no friendship with them [the poor] and no sharing of the life of the poor, then there is no authentic commitment to liberation, because love exists only among equals.

Neighbor is] not he whom I find in my path, but rather he in whose path I place myself, he whom I approach and actively seek.

If there is no friendship with them and no sharing of the life of the poor, then there is no authentic commitment to liberation, because love exists only among equals.

True love exists only among equals, "for love effects a likeness between the lover and the object loved."23 And this supposes an ability to approach others and respect their sensitivities.

There is no authentic evangelization that is not accompanied by action in behalf of the poor.

This is what many Christians are now learning in Latin America. To be followers of Jesus requires that they walk with and be committed to the poor; when they do, they experience an encounter with the Lord who is simultaneously revealed and hidden in the faces of the poor (see Matt. 25:31–46, and the fine commentary in PD, nos. 31–39).

Few of us have the power to heal broken legs, but we all have the power to forgive our neighbor. Yet how often do we do so?

Is it easier to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Take up your pallet and walk'?" Ouch. Few of us have the power to heal broken legs, but we all have the power to forgive our neighbor. Yet how often do we do so?

There is only one good thing in life, and that is love.

In India there is a sect of Jainist monks called the Shvetambara, who always carry a broom and sweep the ground before them as they walk, lest they accidentally tread on some insects and squash them.

Before we can ever learn to love one another as we would hope to do, we must first be willing to see that for too long we have loved only ourselves . . . and that even this has been done poorly.

Being anxious, or in a painful rush of any kind, kills the possibility of meeting anyone with compassion.

Weak thoughts and feelings often feel strong but remember, real strength is never anxious, cruel, or punishing.

Love is effortless attention.

Few acts of kindness do as much to make the world a better place as when we choose to consciously bear our own meanness.

We cannot know. But sometimes there is kindness, and sometimes there is love.

What broke her in the end was to see that Dari, moving quietly in the snow, was tracing his flower neatly with a thin branch in the growing dark while tears were pouring down his face without surcease.

those around a dying person, sometimes loving that person, had their own needs, and these were also to be addressed if you were in the world to heal.

He turned to the king of Valledo. "Make your country—all of Esperaña if you can unite it—into a land that understands more than only war and righteous piety. Allow space in your lives for more than battle chants to inspire soldiers. Teach your people to . . . understand a garden, the reason for a fountain, music.

I am trying to say that what has happened to you is a hard thing, even if there is war somewhere. Even if emperors and kings die. You are entitled to your rage.

People deserve a break. The stressed and unorganized person who doesn't have the same priorities as you may be dealing with an autistic child, abusive spouse, fading parents, or cancer. Don't judge people until you've walked a mile in their shoes. Give them a break instead.

While we're living, we need to get over ourselves and accept others if we want to enchant people.

My philosophy when it came to pets was much like that of having children: You got what you got, and you loved them unconditionally regardless of whatever their personalities or flaws turned out to be.

Love is love, whether it goes on two legs or four.