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Seeing Through God’s Eyes

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B

St. Thomas Aquinas once said: “Omnia quasi oculo Dei intuemur . . .” This means, “Everything as if through His eyes.” In other words, we should see and evaluate everything as if from God’s point of view.

The difference between knowing something naturally and knowing something through faith is not simply a difference of degree; it is a difference of the essence of the matter. Faith causes us to be united with God’s way of thinking. It allows us to internally share in the light in which God knows and sees Himself.

The created world that surrounds us is a voice. This voice speaks to us. If we have weak faith, then the voice will distract us from God, and it will focus our attention on itself. As faith grows, the opposite process occurs. The world begins to speak of God, and it focuses our attention on God. The world brings us closer to God and helps us to encounter Him.

Because faith can completely change our ways of thinking, seeing, feeling and experiencing, it changes our mentality. Faith tells us to always place God first. Faith tells us to focus our lives on God. Faith tells us to see the world in the divine light that comes from God. The light of faith illuminates all of our judgments, desires, and expectations. In this way, communion of faith happens—communion that realizes its fullness only in God, Who is Love.

It is important that we take time each week, if not every day, to ask ourselves: “How is my faith?” The answer to this question will help us discern if we are listening to the voice of God, which brings peace (even to a troubled conscience), or if we are listening to the voice of the world, which brings fear. God wants our lives to be filled with peace, even in the most difficult times—peace that only faith can give.

Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur

Readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Lectionary 128