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Gospel Commentary for August 4, 2025
Empathize, heal, feed, bless. These four words could sum up today’s Gospel passage.
In the past week, Jesus spoke in parables, explaining what the Kingdom he announced was like. On Saturday, the Gospel told the story of the death (or murder) of John the Baptist by Herod, helping us understand the Kingdom by contrast. Now, Jesus puts the Kingdom into action. And we can understand it through those four verbs or actions.
The first is to empathize. The Gospel says Jesus “felt sorry” for the people who came to Him. Today, the expression “to feel sorry” might sound weak or negative to us. But that’s what empathy really means: putting ourselves in someone else’s place to understand what they feel or think, what they’re going through. The English say, “to walk in someone else’s shoes.” Jesus could empathize with those around Him. He shared in their joys and their pain—and He acted accordingly.
The second action is to heal. This means to care for someone, to respond to their needs. Empathy is not enough on its own. Once we feel what the other person is going through, we must do something—within our means and with our resources. Jesus healed the sick. Maybe we can’t heal like He did, but we can listen, care, lend a hand, or help however we can.
The third is to feed. Feeding means caring for life, because food is the most basic need that keeps a person alive. Feeding others is another result of empathy. If we truly put ourselves in another’s shoes and become aware of their needs, we will recognize that hunger is one of the most urgent ones. And in our world, there is still a lot of hunger.
And the last action is to bless. To bless—not to curse. Certainly not to condemn. Blessing is something all of us can do. It’s not something only priests are allowed to do. If we blessed more and cursed less, this world would be a better place. And the Kingdom would be more present among us.