Not by appearance shall he judge

“Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.”(IS 11: 3-4)

Only God, Who is our Creator and Who knows us perfectly, from our hearts and our depths, can “judge with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.” How often our judgments are based on our expectations, our “idealistic visions” or “legitimate” claims, forgetting that the most important thing in our relationships is to respect our differences: “not by appearance shall we judge, nor by hearsay shall we decide.”

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)