What Young Catholics Are Looking For: Even Though They Don’t Know It -- The Compassion Renaissance (Neuroscience-informed Compassion Cultivation)
Richard K. Stephens Title: What Young Catholics Are Looking For: Even Though They Don’t Know It -- The Compassion Renaissance (Neuroscience-informed Compassion Cultivation) January 6, 2022 2217 words *** “We should strive to keep our hearts open to the sufferings and wretchedness of other people, and pray continually that God may grant us that spirit of compassion which is truly the spirit of God.” -- Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) 1) A Plea Despite what is likely to come across as a bold and confident tone in this essay, it should be understood that the assertions and recommendations it presents are the product of a great deal of suffering, self-examination, painful repentance for an abundance of sin, as well as marginalization, rejection and isolation. Thus, the core conviction is the essay is one that is born of “poverty of spirit.” Though firmly expressed, it is a plea, expressed loudly, much like Bartimaeus, over the din, yet is nevertheless a plea for mer