You are what you see. Each of us are affected by the realities of the world around us. What do you see in your everyday life? Do you see a picket fence or barbed wire? Do you see children playing in the grass or being told to stay off the streets?

In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees are limited in their sight. Their perspective is only that of delineating laws. They do not see their hungry brother. They choose not to recognize those crying out in need.

We can only see if we are close enough. Do we see our homeless or mentally ill? Our incarcerated, elderly, or migrants? Do we see those who are afraid, who are ignored by society? Do we see that those we believe to be so different from us actually look up at same stars we do? Do we see our brothers and sisters?

—Ryan Mak, S.J., a Jesuit scholastic of the California Jesuit province, is studying philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.