Yesterday we celebrated a mass for the youth group of our parish. Participation was voluntary. Going by the notion that our youth are famous to give cold shoulder to prayers or a mass given a chance, I was not expecting much participation. And to my pleasant surprise the group members did turn up for the mass in significant numbers and also enjoyed the experience. Happy to be proven wrong and hope that the youth continue to be part of such experiences in the near future as well.
The words “I understand” hold immense power. In the TV show Two and a Half Men , Charlie Harper often uses this phrase, sometimes with humorous intent. But beyond the humor, these two simple words—"I understand"—carry a depth and magic that is often overlooked. Understanding is the first step toward empathy. It reflects a willingness to connect with another person's experience, their emotions, and their perspective. Yet, to truly understand, we must pause and reflect on what we mean when we say it. Do we really understand what the other person is going through? Are we merely acknowledging their words, or are we trying to feel what they feel? True understanding isn’t about sympathy or offering solutions. It’s about resonance. Do we truly feel the depth of someone’s anxiety or pain, or are we simply familiar with the emotion? Does understanding require us to have lived through similar circumstances, or is it possible to grasp the weight of another’s experience even...
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