— St Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (M)
The Eyes Of The Blind Shall See
Introduction
In this season of hope, Advent, the word of God gives us a vision of hope. The mighty who rely on their own political power and alliances will be crushed, but the poor, the deaf, the blind, that is, those who still believe in God’s presence and action in the world, will see salvation. So promises Isaiah in the name of God.
When we celebrate the Eucharist, we profess our faith that God, in fact, begins the fulfillment of this promise in Jesus. He restores the eyesight of the blind because they believe. God has committed himself to the world through Jesus Christ.
1 Reading Isaiah 29:17-24
Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Matthew 9:27-31
As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
Commentary
How could the blind men catch up with Jesus unless Jesus slowed down for their sake? In all likelihood, Jesus heard their shouting, knew their plight, welcomed their desire, and wanted them to catch up with him. And when they did, he tested their faith and trust in him. In response to their proclamation of faith, Jesus healed them.
No handicap of ours can prevent us from reaching Christ. He adjusts to our limitations and waits for us to catch up with him. And when we are struck down by life’s tragedies or paralyzed by fear, he does not merely wait; he walks toward us and meets us where we are. You might have seen the famous picture of Jesus knocking at a door that has no knob. The traditional interpretation goes that Jesus cannot open it from outside; we must open it from inside and welcome him in. That is only half the truth. For, our Savior can walk through walls and reach out to us. Want proof? Ask the disciples who were crouched in fear inside locked doors after the crucifixion of Christ (Jn 20:19). But, do you believe in Him?
Blessing
That God may open our eyes to look at ourselves and this world with eyes of faith. Then there will be little that is dark in life. May the Lord touch the eyes of our hearts and bless us, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
St Ambrose – Pray for us!