Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Reading and Reflection
Not as man sees does God see.
We've been watching some funny videos from YouTube
lately. A favorite is a clip from a variety show.
Three men volunteer for a stunt, but one of the men gets the giggles.
There is no microphone on him, so you can't hear him at first, but you
know he is laughing uncontrollably.
Then the emcee puts a mike near him and we start laughing - this sweet
old guy has a silly laugh. It's so unexpected because we
anticipate a hardy guffaw. In this case, our preconceptions
lead to good natured laughter. But often, our preconceptions
limit our respect and confidence in others or limit what we expect them
to accomplish. If we try to see as God sees, we will work to
erase those preconceptions.
St. James is a wonderful parish and I am blessed to
know many of the parishioners. During RENEW, small groups of
folks met and shared their faith stories for six weeks. It
was a time to shed prejudices and see as God sees. One of
the lessons I learned during RENEW was to expect that everyone has a
story of hardship, faith, and courage. When I lector or EME
I do so differently because I am closer to seeing as God sees.
Let us all pray today that we will see the holiness in others before our
prejudices kick in!
