{"id":3561,"date":"2015-06-16T03:30:10","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T08:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/?p=3561"},"modified":"2015-06-06T09:23:09","modified_gmt":"2015-06-06T14:23:09","slug":"church-fathers-day-330-hermas-tells-us-dont-judge-by-appearances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/2015\/06\/16\/church-fathers-day-330-hermas-tells-us-dont-judge-by-appearances\/","title":{"rendered":"Church Fathers, Day 330: Hermas tells us don\u2019t judge by appearances"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"hermas_1\"<\/a>Don\u2019t judge by appearances <\/strong><\/p>\n

In a vision, the Shepherd tells Hermas that you can\u2019t tell the righteous from the sinners by looking at them. In this life, we\u2019re all like trees in the winter: who can tell which are living and which are dead? <\/em><\/p>\n

He showed me many trees that had no leaves; they were withered, and they all looked alike to me.<\/p>\n

And he said to me, \u201cDo you see these trees?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see, sir, that they are all alike, and all withered,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese trees that you see,\u201d he answered, \u201care those who dwell in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why are they withered,\u201d I said, \u201cand why do they all look alike?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause,\u201d he said, \u201cneither the righteous nor sinners are obvious in this life. They are all alike. For this life is a winter to the righteous, and they do not show themselves, because they live with sinners. Just as, in the winter, the trees that have lost their leaves are all alike, and we can\u2019t see which are dead and which are living, so in this world neither the righteous nor the sinners show themselves, but they all look alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013Hermas, Similitude 3 <\/em><\/p>\n

IN GOD\u2019S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . . <\/strong><\/p>\n

How much do I judge people by their appearances?<\/p>\n

Do I treat people differently because of those judgments?<\/p>\n

CLOSING PRAYER <\/strong><\/p>\n

Lord, I pray for all those who bear fruit, and labor honorably for your Church, which remembers the poor, the widows and orphans, strangers and those in need.<\/em><\/p>\n

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