God sees beyond our appearances, beyond what we try to show to others. He knows our hearts and all our intentions. Only He sees us in our entirety.

Father Eustáquio speaks, in one of his texts, about the presence of God in our midst and His vision for our lives. Read excerpts from the text below:

“"Among you stood one whom you do not know" (John 1:26)

If I were to ask you, my brothers, which of the animals has the sharpest eyesight, you would answer that it is the eagle, which can gaze at the sun itself, and then the lynx, which from the highest mountains can see the deepest valleys and precipices..

They are good eyes, I agree, but I know others that are better. It is said that among men, the gaze of Caesar Augustus was blazing and terrifying, and that of Tiberius was so penetrating that one could read and even write at night, in the dark..

They were good, but there are even better ones. Historians mention that a certain "Strabo" could clearly see a distance of five kilometers. Does this surprise you? Perhaps. But there is something even better..

While in Milan, Saint Ambrose was able to see what was happening in another city far away, despite the Alps; in fact, he announced the death of Saint Martin on the very day and at the same hour that he breathed his last..

Do you desire even more admirable things? Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Philip Neri, Saint Catherine of Siena, and many others saw into the deepest recesses of hearts, and we must agree that their eyes were good, but there are even more penetrating ones..

I know some for whom nothing is an obstacle, for they see everything despite the densest darkness and the greatest distances, and which cannot be avoided or escaped. And what kind of eyes are these? Sacred Scripture narrates: "The eyes of the Lord are brighter than the sun; they see all the ways of mankind and penetrate the deep abyss."“.

Allow me, my brothers, through the Church consecrated in a special way for meditating on the virtues and beautiful qualities of Mary, to remind you of the presence of God, whose constant remembrance presided over all that Our Lady did, so that we may profit by enriching ourselves with this great virtue, always thinking of the presence of God. Thus, may Our Lady help us..

One can, through excuses, evasions, and skill, cast a veil over the eyes of men. It was thus that Rebecca was able to deceive Isaac, by means of goatskins; it was thus that Laban was able to deceive Jacob, giving him Leah instead of Rachel; and it was thus that Joab was able to deceive Amasar, with displays of feigned friendship..

Do not deceive God in this way. No matter how much man dissimulates, conceals himself, or hides himself, His eyes penetrate everything, and there is no darkness for Him, because, as the Holy Scripture says, "man sees the things that appear, but God sees the very heart."“.

There are things that cannot be taken away from God, and one of them is the all-penetrating sight. Even if the sinner tries to escape Him, hiding in the caves of the mountains, in the depths of the darkest forests, or in the lairs of wild beasts, even if he calls upon darkness thicker than that of the land of Egypt for help, the sight of God will follow him everywhere, will count all his steps. "If I ascend to heaven," says the psalmist, "you are there; if I descend to the depths, you are there; if I take my wings and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me."“.

Now, my brother, if I were to ask you if you believe in this truth, I would answer that you do, and I congratulate you for that, because if you firmly believe it, if you always think about this divine presence, you will never fall into sin. It is Saint Augustine who affirms to you, “We need to live according to justice and equity, because everything we do is in the presence of the judge, who sees all.”.

** taken from the archive book of the Bulletins of the Sacred Hearts Parish (in Belo Horizonte/MG) – 1946/1947 edition.