There's more that meets the eye... when we see a beautiful sunset, science can explain why the colors are so beautiful and deep due to the slanting rays of the sun, in infraction of the light, the position and slant of the sun's rays. But there is more than meets the eye... the setting sun in its brilliance, inspires the inner spirit to be gratful for a day of blessing, a realization that as the sun sets, our hearts set on Christ.
There's more than meets the eye... everyone in this church has an inner story. We see with our eyes the external manifestation of that story. We can come up with certain conclusions about the inner journey of the person before us, by what is worn, the demeanor, the manner of movement. But these are just conjecture of a curious bystander. There's more than meets the eye.
I knew a gentlemen, a family man, married with children, living in a simple house, unassuming in a very blue collar neighborhood. A very kind man who was engaged in the parish but kept a low profile. He was known... Or so we thought. He died shortly after his wife and it became known he was worth millions of dollars that were invested in those who needed help. Many resources were shared over many years. Nothing was ever mentioned by the immense charity of this person. There's more than meets the eye...
Naaman, a foreigner, needed healing with no remedy in sight. A distant prophet of a hated religion, Elisha, advised that he bathe in the Jordan River. At first he refused. Why should he bath in those filthy waters when there were plenty of fresh water rivers in his own native land? There's nore than meets the eye... Naaman allowed his humility to SEE things, but differently, since there is more than meets the eye. He finally surrendered, letting go of his resistance, and plunged into the "foreign waters" of the Jordan and came out of them healed of his leprosy. Naaman began to SEE God in a competely new manner.
10 individuals had leprosy and they asked Jesus to have pity on them. He sends them to he priests and they were healed on the way. Jesus was not physically present as they were healed. There's more than meets the eye... Nine faithful Jews were filled withh joy, I'm certain, but they didn't make the connection between the healing and Jesus. There is more to Jesus that meets the eye. Only ONE, a foreigner, turns around and give thanks to Jesus and SEES Jesus with inner vision.
If Jesus were to return today, and 10 people diagnosed with a terminal illness begged him to have mercy on them, he would say go to the doctors, the people of science and physical healing and show yourselves to them. Nine of the 10 were devout faithful disciples of Jesus. Baptized. Church goers. One was ordained a Catholic Priest, a pastor, serving in a small city parish. Laity, ministers, priests were all represented by the nine. After the cure, they went home in jubilation. The one turned around, found Jesus and thanked him, SEEING something powerful and Godlike in Jesus. There's more than meets the eye...
In a few minutes, simple bread and wine will be brought up, placed on the altar band through the prayers of the assembly and the ministry and words of the preist at the consecration, the bread and wine will be transformed into the very Body and Blood of Christ. There's much more than meets the eye... we are invited to SEE ourselves, life, others, Church God with the inner eye of transformation.