According to the First Book of Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart” (16:7). Today we are contaminated by a sickness which is more dangerous than AIDS or cancer or an (H1N1) influenza virus. This sickness is called He-man (Himantayon in Visayan dialect), or observing and assessing people by their looks or appearances.

On the day He taught in their synagogue he was met with suspicious, hostile looks and cynicism. The most severe critics are often people very familiar to us, a member of our family, a relative, or neighbor, or co-worker we rub shoulders with on a regular basis. Jesus faced a severe testing when he returned to his home town, not simply as the carpenter’s son, but now as a rabbi with disciples. Their opposition was based on the fact that He was too transparent to them. They knew Him very well. They knew Him as the son of a carpenter. They could not accept this. They could not accept that the Messiah they were waiting for was just a son of a very simple and ordinary carpenter. They believed that the Messiah would come from an unknown source.

What Christ is asking from us today is that we should not set aside these Christian values of simplicity, authenticity, and sincerity. Do not make your pride reign in your hearts. Greg O’Hern said: “Be cheerful and understanding, ever ready to give a helping hand and a comforting word. When you hear an unkind remark, when you have been the object of an abuse, when you feel your grievance must be revenged, control your temper and stay calm. Forget the urging temptation to fight back, for a wrong thing done cannot be righted with another. If possible, avoid explaining your side while your neighbor is still in an irritated mood. Why try to build a castle while the storm is raging.” Jesus humbles Himself and is born like us in all things but sin. He set aside His being God in order to be close to us and to hear what is lacking in us. We must abandon our selfish biases and intellectual cynicism in order to possess a discerning heart. So let us look not at the appearance because that is deceiving, but at the heart; it is surely a win.

Let us try to see goodness in others always. Whatever the way they look is not most important; what is in the Heart is most important. From the fullness of heart, the mouth speaks. Judge no one on earth.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley