11th Sunday Ordinary Time – Year A
Fr. Joonbin Lim
Preached: June 14, 2026
These days, whenever I look at myself in the mirror, I sometimes think of my father’s face. Even though it is my own face, I am surprised to see his expression in me. As I get older, I realize that I resemble him not only in appearance, but also in the way I speak, in my habits, and even in the way I think.
Then I began to ask myself, “What have I inherited from my father?” Perhaps my face, my character, my temperament, and some attitudes toward life came from him. But another question also came to my mind: “Then what have I inherited from God? What has God planted in my heart?”
Today’s Gospel gives us one answer to that question. Jesus saw the crowds, and His heart was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus did not see the people simply as a crowd. He saw their tired hearts, their wounds, their loneliness, and their lost souls. And He had compassion for them.
A few days ago, I was driving from the rectory to the church. To get to the church, I have to make a left turn, but there is no traffic light there. That day, I had many things on my schedule, so my mind was busy, and I felt a little rushed.
There was a person standing near the entrance of the road. For a moment, I became annoyed and thought, “Why is he standing there?” But after I parked the car, I saw him again. He had not been standing there to block the way. He had stopped for a moment because his leg was hurting. A little later, he began to walk again, limping.
When I saw that, I felt ashamed. I had failed to see his pain. Instead of seeing him as a person, I saw him only as an inconvenience in the middle of my busy schedule.
That experience made me think again about the compassion of Jesus. His compassion is not only a great feeling for special moments. It is the heart that helps us look again at the person in front of us in ordinary daily life. It is the heart that helps us see the hidden pain in another person, even when we feel inconvenienced.
In today’s Gospel, after Jesus feels compassion for the crowds, He calls His disciples and sends them out. He tells them to cure the sick, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons. Then He says, “You received without payment; give without payment.”
These words make me look back on my own life. When I came to Canada three years ago, I did not even have one million Korean won in my pocket. All I had were two pieces of luggage. I came to a new country with limited English and with very few people I knew. But I have been able to live here until now, not because of my own ability.
It has been because of your care, your love, your charity, and so much help. Some people prayed for me. Some welcomed me warmly. Some patiently listened to me, even when my English was not good. Some opened their hearts so that I could live here as a priest.
When we think about our lives, we realize that we are all living a borrowed life. We come into this world empty-handed, and we leave empty-handed. Our time, our health, our talents, our money, our position, the people around us, and even our life itself are entrusted to us by God for a while.
Therefore, what matters is not how much we have, but how we share what we have received. Our time, health, talents, the people around us, and even our life itself are all gifts that God has entrusted to us for a while. We are not called because we are perfect. We are called because we have first received love and mercy, and now we are invited to share that love with others.
Perhaps what the Lord asks of us today is not something great or dramatic. It may be to pause our busy hearts for a moment, to look again at the person in front of us, and to try to recognize the pain within that person.
Jesus saw the crowds, and His heart was moved with compassion. Today, let us ask the Lord to help us see others with His eyes. And may we share the love we have received through our small words and actions.
