The first reading focusses on how people judge the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. This reading evokes so much hope to those who by the world’s standards would fall short and it also acts as an encouragement to those who aspire to improve themselves to please God. We need to be humble and resolve to imitate Christ in the way we live. Thus, our hearts will be pleasing to God.

Where would we find our hearts today? At a place where we would be chosen like David? Or are we at a place where our hearts need more work, in terms of becoming humble, reaching out in love and compassionate? Do we think of others more highly than ourselves? These are just a few of the attributes that we presume David’s heart held, that God saw.

Psalm 23 is one we are familiar with but we could never stop drawing strength from it. Our Lord is the One who provides, he leads us and guides us. He is the God who never ceases to comfort those sheep who depend on him.

What is St. Paul referring to when he says “Brothers and sisters you were once in darkness but now you are light in the Lord” (Eph 5:8)? Before Jesus came down to earth to show us the way to the heart of our Abba Father through his death and resurrection, we were all in darkness. We were governed by the law of sin and death. This carried with it a sense of hopelessness, and a way of life that was destined for gloom as everyone fell short of the glory of God.

Jesus came to change our course. He died once and for all so that we may have eternal life through our knowledge of the Father. We were made righteous, to be called a holy nation and a royal priesthood. A people called by his own name. Do we believe and behave as though this is our destiny? Are we living as children of the light? Do goodness, righteousness and truth abound in our lives?

What is Jesus telling us in today’s Gospel proclamation? “I came into this world for judgement, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”

Today’s theme seems to highlight an undertone of “nothing is as it appears”. If our attention and focus is constantly directed at those that are external, our spirits will be blind to what is going on in the spiritual realm. Our focus must be on Jesus: the light of the world that exposes darkness. We who live and move and have our being in him should not be blind to what is unseen.

Prayer: Abba Father, open the eyes of our heart, so that we can see the way you want us to. Amen.