From Living Faith Daily Catholic Devotions (Jan/Feb/Mar 2026)

St. Fabian, St. Sebastian

1 Samuel 16:1-13 + Psalm 89:20-22, 27-28 + Mark 2:23-28

Seeing the Heart 

Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart. s authority to forgive sins on earth. 1 Samuel 16:7

Every day, we make decisions about the people we encounter. Whether walking through our neighborhoods or exploring a new city on vacation, we respond to the people we meet based on past encounters with similar people. This approach may not be about what we know to be true but, rather, about the previous experience we’ve had and biases that are hardwired into us. We may see what we see and jump to the wrong conclusions.

God, thankfully, does what we cannot. God loves us as individuals and knows us by name. God sees into our hearts and falls in love with us again and again. Today’s Scripture is both a reminder of God’s kind and just love and a challenge to live our lives in the same way. In a world obsessed with appearances, we are reminded to look deeper and find the treasure of God within each person.

O Lord, help me to look deep and seek the heart of the other.

□ Steve Givens