St Sebastian lived in the latter part of the 3rd century. He was a very important martyr in the early Church, but there is not a lot that we can substantiate about him in our modern era. He died as a martyr and was venerated in Milan in the era of St Ambrose and St Augustine in the 4th century. Tradition passes down that he was a soldier in the Roman army. When his Christian Faith was discovered, he was brought before a squad where he was clubbed to death. He survived this beating, but his identity as a Christian was again discovered, and this time he died from his beating. He was buried on the Appian way in the catacombs that bear his name. St Sebastian is the patron saint of athletes due to his legendary physical endurance, strength, and perseverance in the face of torture, mirroring the qualities valued in sports.
In our reading from 1 Samuel, God rejected Saul as the king of Israel due to his recalcitrance. God sent Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem, telling Samuel that he has chosen the new king of Israel from among Jesse's sons. Samuel sees one of Jesse's sons, Eliab; Samuel is certain that he is the one whom God has chosen. However, God responds to Samuel that he should not judge according to appearance only, that God looks not at the outside appearance, but at the heart.
As a priest, I realize that sometimes we think we can know someone's situation from what we ourselves observe and from the outward appearance, but what is going on in someone's heart can be completely different. In our society, we can focus on the externals that we see. We are conditioned in society to make everything look good on the outside. Yet, ultimately, it does not matter what everyone else thinks or what our appearance is. What matters is what God sees and what God knows is going on in our hearts.
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