From Catholic Charities USA <[email protected]>
Subject 2023 CCUSA Lent Reflection - March 19
Date March 19, 2023 9:00 AM
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Catholic Charities USA


Fourth Sunday of Lent

Today's Lectionary Readings
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Not as man sees does God see...but the Lord looks into the heart.
1 Sam 16:7

The readings this weekend all have the theme of darkness and light,
blindness and sight. The Gospel today is one of the miracles of
Jesus.  He heals a blind man on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees
get mad at Jesus and the blind man. Then Jesus identifies himself as
the Son of Man to the blind man.  It is all about blindness -vs-
seeing. 

However, the phrase about seeing that caught my attention was from the
first reading: "Not as man sees does God see" (1 Sam
16:7).  Imagine a world where humans truly saw other humans the
way God sees us. 

Look at the veteran who can't seem to fit back into
society.  Look at the young pregnant girl who doesn't know
what to do next.  Look at the asylum seeker who has lived through
atrocities we will never understand.  Look at the senior citizen
who is alone and choosing between medicine and food.  Look at the
family who is slowly spiraling down because of low-paying jobs. 

What do you see?  Too often we blame the person for their
situation in life.  Too often humans see other humans as problems
that need to be solved.  That's assuming that we see the
suffering and broken at all.

What does God see?  God sees suffering and broken people as His
beloved children.  He sees them as being worthy of love and
dignity and compassion. 

My prayer for those of us involved in social ministry is that we will
not only see the issue at hand, make a check request, set up an
appointment, and form a committee, but that our hearts will be in line
with God's way: that we will truly see each other the way God
sees us.

Chris Austgen is the Coordinator of Parish Social Ministry at Mary
Queen Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. 
She is also on the CCUSA Parish Social Ministry Leadership Team.

This and other Catholic Charities USA reflections may be viewed here.
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