From today’s first reading: “The LORD said to Samuel: ‘How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.’

Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired, ‘Is your visit peaceful, O seer?’ He replied: ‘Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.’ He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves and invited them to the sacrifice. As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.’ But the LORD said to Samuel: ‘Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel, who said, ‘The LORD has not chosen him.’ Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, ‘The LORD has not chosen this one either.’ In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The LORD has not chosen any one of these.’ Then Samuel asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ Jesse replied, ‘There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.’ Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, ‘There–anoint him, for this is he!’ Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David."

“By faith, [Lasallians] learn to discern in every event, and in every person, especially in the poor, a sign and a call of the Spirit." (Adapted from the Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (2015), 6)

“Do not judge from his appearance . . . The LORD looks into the heart." How often have we, as educators, ignored that advice? More than we would like to admit, I suspect, especially when we think of grades and work effort as an appearance. Yet scripture, and our Lasallian mission, call us to see otherwise: we “learn to discern . . . in every person, especially in the poor, a sign and call of the Spirit." There will be times this week when we are tempted to reach judgments quickly and based on surface impressions. Let’s allow ourselves to go deeper into the situation, looking for the presence of God in each person and in ourselves, seeking to truly understand and live out our mission to the poor in our decisions.

Live, Jesus, in our hearts!