“Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them” the Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” (Psalm, 126:2–3)

“We must be more attentive to the good things that the Lord gives us. We are always attentive to problems, to difficulties, and it is as if we did not want to see that there are beautiful things that come to us from the Lord.” (p 89 from A School of Prayer The Saints Teach Us to Pray by Pope Benedict XVI)

A question that is asked often about our attitude in life is; “Do you see the situation was a glass half full or a glass half empty?” This is, as the quote notes above a question that lays a foundation of who we are as we interact in our lives with others. A problem because this attitude affects the way we interact with one another and all of God’s creation.
As I write this post, I am sitting in the waiting room having my car serviced. Waiting rooms and waiting in general can seem very difficult and people will often complain about waiting for many reasons. Our world and society demand almost an instantaneous response and reception of stuff and even in relationships.

I think one of things Pope Benedict may be getting at is how we see ourselves and each other. How often do we focus on what we are lacking in the eyes of the world rather than the blessings of who we are as a child of God. Or how we can look at another person and judge what we think in a negative light rather than searching for the graces and gifts they bring to our lives.

Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” confirms this idea as he writes, “The aesthetic experience of love expressed in that “gaze” which contemplates other persons as ends in themselves, even if they are infirm, elderly or physically unattractive. A look of appreciation has enormous importance, and to begrudge it is usually hurtful… Much hurt and many problems result when we stop looking at one another… Love, opens our eyes and enables us to see, beyond all else, the great worth of a human being.” (#128)
When we begin to forget how we are made in the image and likeness of God, we fail to “look at” and “see” the other as a blessing of goodness and holiness even in the most difficult situations. The eyes of our heart become blinded by the hurt and sin that will invade our lives and the sacramental grace of reconciliation and the daily acts of forgiveness become less than and optional rather than act of serving one another we are called to enter into as brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is vital in the sacramental relationship of husband and wife where the spouses are called to “see” the other and to “look at” the other in a filial relationship of sister and brother first and foremost…as someone to be loved for loves sake…with the conjugal love as the gift from knowing the other in the blessing we see as Pope Benedict notes above.
Of course this also occurs in all relationships and we should always seek to see others as blessings and graces give by God to enliven our lives.

God Bless Fr. Mark