It’s Very Easy to Judge by Appearances
Deacon Michael was surprisingly accepting of the faults of others. As a trial lawyer, he dealt with people when they were angry, very angry. He did his best to deal with people as they were. He could see both sides, even though professionally he had to represent only one.
Though he was not a criminal lawyer, in such cases attorneys often supplied suits for their clients to wear to make them more sympathetic to a jury. God is not impressed by what we wear. He knows who and what we are. God is the just judge.
In his sermon he talks about what the book of Revelation says about appearances vs reality.
As usual, he addresses the 6:30 crazies with love as he presents his observations about people, life, our culture, and the scriptures.
written by Laura Weston, widow of Deacon Michael
IF YOU LIKE, READ ALONG WHILE YOU ARE LISTENING:
It's very easy to judge people based on exterior appearances. You know, "Oh wow, look at him, he's... ; look at her, she's beautiful." Whatever you want to look at. And many times when you have the opportunity to know someone who is famous, who is well known, you get to know them and you really find out who they are.
And sometimes, very much like the old story, they have feet of clay. And most of what they are in their humanity is "sound and fury, signifying nothing." They're nothing. "Vanity of vanities." There's nothing.
And so we look at the reality of people, and this is what St. John is talking about when he is talking to the city of Sardis (in the first reading from the book of Revelation). He says, "You've got this great reputation but you're dead. There is no reality to it. You have no works. You go around saying, "Oh, I'm so wonderful. I believe in Jesus Christ." But, whoop!
You have to live the life of Christ. When you live the life of Christ as John describes, is you'll be dressed in white. You will be in the presence of God. But it is not the external appearances, it's the reality.
The reading of the letter to Laodicia (in the same reading from the book of Revelation) is in many ways a harder one because he is going again talking about the reality. He is saying that you don't realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. You haven't done what you need to do.
But what he is also saying is, "You're so comfortable, there's nothing there."
Have you ever had a circumstance where you wanted some cold drink. And what you get out of this drinking fountain, especially in the summer, is warm. It's not cold, it's not hot, it's just kind of blah. And that's what Laodicia was famous for. It has hot springs in there and the water was tepid. John is saying, and Jesus says the same thing, He didn't come for mediocrity. He came to light men's souls, to excite them.
If you're going to go along in your life and just go, "Dum, di dum di dum, di dum, di dum. Hey, look at me, I'm doing fine. Dum, di dum, dum." You're nothing.
I've asked this before. If people in your office, or wherever you work, are saying it's illegal to be Catholic, will they point you out and say, "See, I know that by the way he acts." Or would they go, "Huh, you know, I've often wondered about her but I don't know. She really doesn't act like it, but I think she is. I think she's Polish, so aren't the Poles Catholic or something?"
That's what John is talking about is, if you have the faith, put on the faith. Do something. Use the faith. Love they neighbor.
And here it is specifically talking about charity. Again, if you live the life of following Christ there is the promise of eternal life.
In the gospel reading, I love Luke cause sometimes can't you just imagine yourself, you're on a dusty street and Jesus is walking through, everybody walks because they don't have bicycles, everybody is walking through, or cars, they're walking through, and this little guy, about the size that you are, can't see. Trying to see; can't see. He finally climbs up a tree. Imagine her, up a tree so she can see Jesus.
Jesus comes walking along and says, "Hey Carol, come on down." Such a vivid story. And everyone says, "What do you mean? What, you are going to have a meal with her? Everybody knows she's a sinner. She's a horrible person. She's a tax collector. Ooo, those are the worst." And from the story she's probably not even Jewish. "And you're going to eat with her, Jesus? You who claim to be so wonderful?"
And what does Zacchaeus say? "You know, I'm me. Maybe I'm not as wonderful as I think I am. But because I believe in You, I'm going to give away half of my possessions to the poor. Here they are. And I'm going to go, and I'm going to sit down, contemplate what I have done, and if I cheated anybody, I'm going to pray about it, I'm going to think about it, I'm going to figure out who they are and I'm gonna say, "Margene, do you remember that time where I was doing such and such. Tisk, huh. I cheated you. I cheated you out of 50 dinari. Here, have 200.
We have the contemplation of our reality through repentance and penance. All of those things wrapped up together. That is how we need to view the world.
We need to go, and believe me, as a lawyer this is hard to do. I've got to think back over 40 years and think of all the things that I've done to people, on behalf of clients. "Oh, don't worry about doing that." I've talked to priests about this one. "Oh, don't worry about it. You're hired. You are supposed to do whatever you can to help your client as long as you don't violate the ethical rules." "Well, it's not a violation of the ethical rules, but they (the other side) should have won. The only reason they lost is because of me, because I was a better lawyer than they hired.” "Oh, don't worry about that." Well, I do worry about that.
Think about your lives. When have you done somebody wrong? Fix it. Do what is right. Give of yourself. And that is what we are called to do.
And in this process of doing these things, the marvelous thing happens. In this process of looking at the reality of who we are, of looking at our faith in Christ, in motivating ourselves to be something other than just bland, tepid water, to be something hot or cold, to live our lives for Christ, all of a sudden, we go through the life of penance. We go through the life of repenting of what we have done. We make a reconciliation of what we have done. And then, then we are prepared to give thanksgiving to God for everything that we have. Because in doing the process of recognizing that we are not what we are called to be and doing something about it, we realize the wonder of God's creation. Of God's creation, and the wonder of what God gave us through His Son dying on the cross.
November 20, 2018