16/06/2026
FR SHAIJU’S HOMILY FOR
THE 11TH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
The God Who Sees Me
The first person in the Bible recorded as giving God a name is not a king or a prophet. It is Hagar, a vulnerable woman, an outsider, a slave, alone in the wilderness.
Hagar is an Egyptian servant, a woman with no power and no status. She represents so many in our world today—those who are overlooked, mistreated, pushed aside, and silenced. She is used, oppressed, and eventually driven away by Sarai. Pregnant and afraid, she flees into the desert, unsure of her future.
She is, in every sense, invisible. And yet, in that loneliness, something extraordinary happens.
God finds her. But in the wilderness—in her vulnerability. The angel of the Lord speaks to her, not with judgment, but with care. With attention. With promise.
And in response, Hagar does something remarkable.
She names God. She calls Him El Roi, which means, “the God who sees me.”
She says, “Now I have seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13)
A God Who Sees
The God of the Bible is a God who sees. But God’s seeing is not passive. When God sees, God responds. God’s seeing is filled with compassion, concern, and action. God’s gaze is not distant or indifferent—it is personal, attentive, and life-giving.
Hagar came into the desert feeling discarded, but she leaves knowing she is known.
The Meaning of God’s Gaze
What does it mean to be seen by God?
God’s gaze is not like human seeing. Often, people look at others and immediately judge, categorize, or dismiss.
But God’s gaze does something very different.
• God sees and recognizes.
• God sees and cares.
• God sees and restores.
His gaze is always for life, never for condemnation.
To be in God’s gaze is to be loved.
To be in God’s gaze is to be protected.
To be in God’s gaze is to discover our true worth.
We all search for this kind of gaze. Think of a newborn child. One of the very first things the child seeks is the loving gaze of its parents. In that gaze, the child learns: I am safe. I am loved. I belong.
In the same way, every human heart longs to be seen—not just noticed, but truly seen and loved. And Hagar teaches us that God offers exactly that.
Jesus: The Face of God Who Sees
Centuries later, this same divine way of seeing is revealed fully in Jesus.
The Gospels often tell us that Jesus saw people—and was moved with compassion. He did not simply glance at crowds. He noticed individuals. His seeing was never superficial. It came from a deep place within—a compassion that feels the pain of others and is moved to act.
He then sends out disciples to carry that gaze to God’s people, to radiate God’s compassion to those most in need.
In Jesus, we see what it means for God to look at humanity: not with condemnation, but with love, patience, and understanding.
Called to See as God Sees
And this brings us to an important question:
If God is the One who sees us, and if Jesus shows us how God sees, then what does it mean for us to become people who see as God sees?
It begins with a simple but profound truth: Every person we meet is someone seen and loved by God. To see as God sees means learning to look beyond the surface.
It means replacing judgment with understanding. It means recognizing wounds where we once saw weakness. It means recognizing potential where we once saw failure.
When Jesus saw people deeply, compassion followed naturally. Because compassion begins with seeing.
Compassion is not the same as empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and feel what another person is experiencing—to step into their emotions and see the world from their perspective. It is about feeling with someone. Compassion, on the other hand, goes a step further. It not only involves understanding another’s suffering but also includes the desire to respond and help—to act with care. While empathy connects us emotionally to another person’s pain, compassion moves us to do something about it. In this sense, empathy is the doorway, but compassion is the response that brings healing and support.
Research highlighted by Harvard and related academic studies shows that compassion brings significant benefits both to individuals and to society. Compassion has been found to improve overall well-being by increasing positive emotions and activating brain areas linked to reward and happiness, making people feel more fulfilled and connected to others. Compassionate relationships strengthen trust, deepen human connection, and foster a sense of belonging, which are essential for both mental health and resilient communities. Overall, these findings suggest that compassion is not just a moral ideal but a scientifically supported pathway to greater happiness, healthier relationships, and a more meaningful life.
Perhaps our prayer today can be simple:
“Lord, You are El Roi, the God who sees me.
Teach me to see others as You see them.
Give me eyes that notice,
a heart that understands,
and a compassion that acts.”
Because when we begin to see the way God sees, compassion is no longer just an occasional feeling. It becomes a way of life.
And through that compassion, the world catches a glimpse of the God who sees every person—and loves them deeply.
