Service Times & Information

  2325 Union St., San Francisco, CA 94123  ·   415.921.3665  ·     DONATE

St. Mary the Virgin
  • Welcome
  • About Us
    • Clergy & Staff
    • Vestry
    • Vital & Thriving Reports
    • Weekly Reflections
    • Make Your Pledge
    • St. Mary's Directory
    • New Member Registration
    • St. Mary's Virtual Tour
    • Our History
    • Calendar
    • Policy Information
    • YouTube Videos
  • Worship & Music
    • Worship Schedule
    • Live Service
    • Candlelight Concerts
    • Virtual Worship
    • Sermons
    • Music
    • Liturgical Ministries
    • Baptism
    • Weddings
    • Columbarium
  • Formation
    • 2023 Parish Retreat Registration
    • Children & Youth
    • Sunday School Registration
    • Youth Group
    • Mary Magdalene Scholarships
    • Adults
    • Daughters of the King
  • Get Involved
    • Community Ministries
    • Sacred Ground
    • Justice Ministries
    • Pastoral Care
    • Affinity Groups
    • Stephen Ministry
    • Creation Care
    • Young Professionals
  • Donate

Weekly Reflection-3/21/2023

St. Mary's Reflection: Lynne Dombrowski, Junior Warden

Compassion: Learning to Love Our Neighbors

Those who say, ”I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. (1 John 4:20-21)

As followers of Christ, we are called to continually exercise and improve our capacity to be full of love and compassion toward all – to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 19.16 -19) This commandment is the focus of the Lenten practice of daily reflections from Living Compass: Living Well through Lent: Practicing Compassion with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind. I have appreciated these daily teachings that explore and remind me about the crux of our faith: love and compassion.

As a child, one of the first teachings of Jesus that I learned about was the parable of the Good Samaritan. It expanded my understanding of who is my neighbor and it showed me what compassion looked like. This parable still challenges me today, as an adult, to respond with compassion, rather than judgment, to others. It pains my soul to see someone suffering when I cannot alleviate their pain, when I can only acknowledge it. Many times the only comfort that I can provide to someone is simply to be present and to listen. I have learned, however, that compassion through listening and understanding is a very powerful gift.

Compassion, listening, and understanding are all connected. The greater our ability to listen and to understand another’s experiences, the deeper is our capacity to be compassionate and to love. One of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou succinctly urges us, for the betterment of our society, to never stop the quest for greater understanding and compassion for others as follows: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

To practice compassion and to love our neighbors is not just a Lenten practice. It is a lifelong journey. We are called to continue to work on improving our ability to listen and to understand the experiences of others and, thereby, to expand our capacity for compassion toward others. What steps will you take this year to be more understanding and compassionate toward others, to love your neighbors?

Lynne Dombrowski, Junior Warden

View Previous Reflections

Share this page: Weekly Reflection-3/21/2023
Weekly Reflections Weekly-Reflection - 5/16/2023 Weekly Reflection - 5/10/2023 Weekly Reflection - 5/3/2023 Weekly Reflection - 4/26/2023 Weekly Reflection - 4/11/2023 Weekly Reflection - 1/11/2023 Weekly-Reflection- 4/4/2023 Weekly-Reflection-3/29/2023 Weekly Reflection-3/21/2023 Weekly-Reflection-3/14/2023 Weekly Reflection - 3/7/2023 Weekly Reflection - 2/14/2023 Weekly Reflection - 2/2/2023 Weekly Reflection - 1/24/2023 Weekly Reflection - 1/4/2023 Weekly Reflection - 12/8/2022 Weekly Reflection - 12/21/2022 Weekly Reflection - 11/17/2022 Weekly Reflection - 10/18/2022 Weekly Reflection - 9/19/2022 Weekly Reflection - 8/18/2022 Weekly Reflection - 6/23/2022 Weekly Reflection - 6/14/2022 Weekly Reflection - 6/8/2022 Weekly Reflection - 6/1/2022 Weekly Reflection - 5/4/2022 Weekly-Reflection-4/25/2022 Weekly Reflection - 4/11/2022 Weekly Reflection - 4/6/2022 Weekly Reflection - 3/29/2022 Weekly Reflection - 3/23/2022 Weekly Reflection - 3/8/2022

Sermons

  • May 28 | The Rev. David Erickson
    Sermon 5.28.23
  • May 21 | The Rev. David Erickson
    Sermon 5.21.2023
  • May 14 | The Rev. Kira Austin-Young
    Sermon 5.14.2023
  • Apr 30 | The Rev. David Erickson
    Sermon 4.30.2023
  • Apr 23 | The Rev. Kira Austin-Young
    Sermon 4.23.2023

© 2023 St. Mary the Virgin
2325 Union St. · San Francisco, CA 94123
415.921.3665
Privacy Policy · Powered by Membership Vision

  View Entire Post

Service Times

Sunday Services

  • 8:00 Eucharist - Spoken Eucharist
  • 9:00 Eucharist with Youth and Children's Choir - Sunday school - Child care for infants under 3 years old is available in our nursery.
  • 11:00 AM Eucharist with Parish Choir - The 11:00 a.m. service follows the traditional order of the Episcopal service with a sermon during the service and music offered by our adult choir. Child care for infants under 3 years old is available in our nursery.
  • Sunday Bulletin


Location

St. Mary the Virgin
2325 Union St.
San Francisco, CA 94123

Contact Us
415.921.3665

Newsletter Signup

Watch Live


Our parish offers a welcoming and warm community of faithful people who pursue a life of common prayer and faith-centered action. Whether you join us online or in-person, you are part of our family. We praise God for the gifts you bring that enrich our lives and help to bless the world. Please feel encouraged to participate in any of our worship services or parish programs that draw you closer to the heart of God and your neighbor.

About Us

Support the ministries of St. Mary the Virgin with either a one time donation or a pledge of support for a calendar year. St. Mary’s is a caring community of people with an array of services, programs and social outreach for the community around us. Contributing toward the mission of St. Mary’s touches lives around San Francisco including yours!

Donate Payment Page

Stock Transfer Form