The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate how the Spirit guides our discovery of the Father and the Son in the people and events of our day.
Spirit leads to the Father and Son
The reading from the Prophet Jeremiah describes God as a father to Israel. Psalm 126 shares the harvest of joy experiences in knowing Yahweh. The Letter to the Hebrews teaches about Jesus, a priest forever. In the Gospel of Mark we read of the healing of Blind Bartimaeus1
Steve Scholer asks are we using this wonderful gift of sight to its potential? Sure, we all see the image-filled screens on our iPhones, movies on Netflix or the words in a Reflection, but are we missing something?
If you are like me, the something we are missing is Jesus. Jesus is present in all we encounter, from the moment we open our eyes in the morning, to closing them at night. For he is a “24-7-365” constant in our lives, whose presence we so often overlook. As we go about our affairs today, we should all try and focus a little more closely on what we are really seeing and who is in our field of view. Maybe if we look a little closer at the entire picture, or try and peer around the corner, we will see Jesus standing there showing us his guiding hand, his unfailing willingness to be with us. And maybe, if we learn how to improve our focus, Jesus will no longer be at the edges or hidden in the shadows, but front and center in our field of view, and we will truly see “Christ in all things.” Hopefully, with our new and improved 20-20 vision, we will also see how to love like Jesus loves. That is the type of sight that is truly worth praying for.2
Don Schwager quotes “Your Word will enlighten and save me,” by Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.
"The commandment of the Lord shines clearly, enlightening the eyes. Receive Christ, receive power to see, receive your light, that you may plainly recognize both God and man. More delightful than gold and precious stones, more desirable than honey and the honeycomb is the Word that has enlightened us (Psalm 19:10). How could he not be desirable, who illumined minds buried in darkness, and endowed with clear vision 'the light-bearing eyes' of the soul? ... Sing his praises, then, Lord, and make known to me your Father, who is God. Your Word will save me, your song will instruct me. I have gone astray in my search for God; but now that you light my path, Lord, I find God through you, and receive the Father from you, I become co-heir with you, since you were not ashamed to own me as your brother. Let us, then, shake off forgetfulness of truth, shake off the mist of ignorance and darkness that dims our eyes, and contemplate the true God, after first raising this song of praise to him: 'All hail, O light!' For upon us buried in darkness, imprisoned in the shadow of death, a heavenly light has shone, a light of a clarity surpassing the sun's, and of a sweetness exceeding any this earthly life can offer." (excerpt from EXHORTATION TO THE GREEKS 11.8)3
The Word Among Us Meditation on Jeremiah 31:7-9 comments that in ancient Israel, conditions like blindness and paralysis were often seen as a curse from God. People with disabilities or illnesses were thus thought to be unfit to worship the Lord. This is why, when they saw a blind man begging, Jesus’ disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?” (John 9:2). That’s what makes Jeremiah’s prophecy so moving. Describing the exiles’ return to Jerusalem, he includes “the blind and the lame” among the ranks of the redeemed (Jeremiah 31:8). The day will come, he promises, when no one will be excluded, not even those once considered unworthy.
This is the beauty of the gospel. Jesus has broken down every dividing wall that separates us from his heavenly Father. He welcomes everyone, no matter their situation. That includes you. Today you may feel the way Bartimaeus felt every day, hoping for just a scrap of mercy and tenderness. But that’s not how Jesus sees you. In a world that often focuses on excluding the “unworthy,” he stands before you right now with open arms, eager to say, “Your faith has saved you” (Mark 10:52). “Jesus, teach me to see the world through your eyes of love.”4
Friar Jude Winkler shares insight about the readings today.
Richard Rohr, OFM, comments on the role of contemplation and action in our Way of life. As we accept the prompting of the Spirit to see with our spiritual eyes, we find Jesus in the events of our daily journey.
References
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