Twenty second Sunday of Ordinary Time

I heard it said recently that we tend to form a lasting impression on someone within four minutes of meeting them for the first time.

Even though the scripture warns us against judgment, all the same we tend to categorise people much of the time - using many criteria - their manners, how they speak, how they greet us, how they make eye contact, how they dress, how they arrange their hair, their taste in fashion, whether they wear make up and how much, do they colour-coordinate etc. As we engage in conversation we move from talking about the weather and where they are from and  start to develop an opinion of them based on their knowledge of current affairs, tastes in music, teams they follow, books or movies they like, political leanings, and so on. All these form an overall impression and feed into our prejudices on the one hand or preconceived notions or presumptions of what makes for good character as whether they might be someone we might spend more time with and cultivate a friendship.

We often ask about others friendships, relationships and marriages 'I wonder what they see in each other?' It is interesting that we use that phrase 'to see in' . And by contrast we dismiss others because we 'see through them' - we go beyond appearances.

Appearances matter in public - some people can power dress and dress with confidence. People can exude an air of authority and confidence by how they deport themselves. We can be readily impressed and judge their character by the level of practiced care and trouble in how they present themselves. And appearances do matter and can be crucial on formal occasions like a job interview.

But for all that, we can and do overlook a certain level of carelessness or failings in presentation and awkwardness if the person's heart is in the right place - in the long term the person who gets the job done is preferable to the one who is always ready for inspection but nothing else. Punctuality and diligence and keeping their word and fidelity matter more in the long term. Ideally both are present - both style and substance !

But what about our relationship with God?

'Man looks at appearances but God looks at the heart.'
Appearances can be deceiving but God cannot be fooled. Our relationship with God and neighbour is a matter for the heart.

Of all the parts of the body the heart is mentioned most often in the Bible -1000 times. It means much more of course than the body organ and its function. It is about moral decision making. The Lord looks to the heart as the source or arbiter of morality and righteousness.
In today's Gospel, Jesus quotes Isaiah :

'This people honours me only with lip-service,
while their hearts are far from me.'

On the negative side, sinful acts are preceded by sinful thoughts and consenting to sinful desires followed by availing of the opportunity to sin. Virtue is not measured by fidelity to man-made laws but conformity to divine law - even in matters of religious worship. Our desires stem from the the heart. Desires must be purified and channelled as St Augustine learned when he said 'our hearts are restless, Lord, and they will not rest until they rest in you.'
Our desires such as wanting, needing and yearning point to our incompleteness without other things and other people - something we lack, and which something or someone might make up for that is lacking in us.

It is where we place our hearts desire that matters.

Jesus points to twelve ways in which our hearts have the capacity to lead us to sin. Unfortunately, we can make the wrong decisions.

'For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’

What makes us clean? Possessing the opposing virtues to the twelve vices just mentioned ..
Chastity, fidelity, honesty, truth telling, respect for life, goodness, generosity, gratitude, integrity, humility, charity, wisdom.

These are in fact the fruits of the Holy Spirit - obtained through faithfulness to prayer and frequent reception of the sacraments, fidelity to duty, and striving to practice the virtues in our daily life with the help of a regular confessor, spiritual director and like minded people.

So while externals matter they are skin deep. The Lord looks to my heart. I might wonder - What does He see in me ?

He loves me and I want to return that love - from my heart.