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Hello Friends,
How is your vision these days? Do you have good peripheral vision as well as good central vision?
Hopefully you and I don’t take our eyesight for granted. This sense of vision is one of the incredible gifts from God allowing us to see and experience the beauty of all creation around us.
But as the Gospel from Luke this Sunday points out, sometimes you and I don’t “see” what is right in front of us, let alone what is on the periphery.
You and I can not only miss seeing those people who are invisible to our society, but we can also miss seeing the risen Christ. That is what rich man in the Gospel missed by not seeing the poor and suffering Lazarus who was right outside his door.
The Good Word is that you and I are not invisible to God. Christ sees you and me and loves us unconditionally. We are part of the beauty of God's creation.
But just being created, “seen” and loved by God cannot be where our vision ends. Can you and I see God’s goodness in others - even in those that society views as invisible or undesirable?
If you and I sometimes overlook the invisible, unimportant, and marginalized people in front of us, please know that it is not too late for you and me to correct our vision.
With our loving God, it's never too late to change and to be more Christ-like in our trying to love all, always.
So here's my challenge to you (and me) – ask yourself who aren't you seeing?
Maybe it is someone close to you who has been hurting because of a lost relationship? Maybe it is a family member back home who feels ignored? Perhaps it is someone that you walk by at school everyday - a cleaning person, someone who you get your coffee from each morning, maybe a bus driver on the Stampede bus?
How do you “see” them? And more importantly, how do you engage with them?
If you and I want to be more like Jesus Christ – then consider making eye contact with those we don't "see" and perhaps offering them a simple “hello.”
And for those closer to us who may be hurting or suffering somehow, pay attention to and acknowledge (“see”) their situation and let us offer them our time, prayers, and our heart.
Let us not be so blindly preoccupied and inward like the rich man that we don’t see the gift of Lazarus who is right outside our door. God always sees the goodness in you and me and love us. Let us respond by seeing that goodness in others.
Don’t forget – in honor of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (which is celebrated on October 4), we will be offering our Franciscan Blessing of the Animals next Sunday, October 2 at 2:00 PM under the tent behind the Church. Bring your pet to receive a special blessing.
If your pet is back home, come with a picture (even on a smartphone) of your pet and we will offer a blessing.
St. Francis of Assisi saw that the Love of God is reflected in all God’s creation. Our pets are often a source of unconditional love – so let us love them back by thanking God for them and having them blessed.
As always, if there is anything we can do for you at UB Catholic campus ministry, please let me know. We are here for you.
May God bless you with Peace and All Good.
Fr. Greg