The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seriously examine empire building bluster in our community and political environment as an attempt to blind us to the need to be workers for love and justice in Jesus' vineyard.
The Reading from the First Book of Maccabees presents the beginning of Seleucid persecution from Alexander to Antiochus.
* [1:10] The one hundred and thirty-seventh year: Antiochus IV seized the throne in September, 175 B.C. Dates are given in this book according to the beginning of the Seleucid era, which however was reckoned in two different ways. Antiochians considered this date to be October, 312 B.C. (Syrian calendar), while Babylonians and Jewish priests accepted April, 311 B.C. as the commencement of the era (Temple calendar). The author of 1 Maccabees dates political events by the Syrian calendar but religious events by the Temple calendar. Accordingly, the civil New Year occurred variously in September or October, the religious New Year in March or April..
* [1:54] Fifteenth day of the month Kislev, in the year one hundred and forty-five: December 6, 167 B.C. Desolating abomination: in the original Hebrew, a contemptuous pun on the title “Lord of heaven” given to the god to whom an image or perhaps an altar was erected upon the altar of burnt offerings in the Temple of Jerusalem; cf. Dn 9:27; 11:31.
* [1:56] Scrolls of the law: one or more of the first five books of the Old Testament, the traditional law of Israel. (1 Maccabees, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 119 begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them.
* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. Several expected elements do not appear in the Psalm: Mount Sinai with its story of God’s revelation and gift to Israel of instruction and commandments, the Temple and other institutions related to revelation and laws (frequent in other Psalms). The Psalm is fascinated with God’s word directing and guiding human life. The poem is an acrostic; its twenty-two stanzas (of eight verses each) are in the order of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the eight verses within a stanza begins with the same letter. Each verse contains one word for “instruction.” The translation here given attempts to translate each Hebrew word for “instruction” with the same English word. There are, however, nine words for “instruction,” not eight, so the principle of a different word for “instruction” in each verse cannot be maintained with perfect consistency. The nine words for “instruction” in the translation are: law, statute, commandment, precept, testimony, word, judgment, way, and promise. (Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke presents the Healing of the Blind Beggar.
* [18:38] Son of David: the blind beggar identifies Jesus with a title that is related to Jesus’ role as Messiah (see note on Lk 2:11). Through this Son of David, salvation comes to the blind man. Note the connection between salvation and house of David mentioned earlier in Zechariah’s canticle (Lk 1:69). See also note on Mt 9:27. (Luke, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)
Cindy Costanzo comments that this scripture, the Healing of the Blind Beggar, displays vulnerability, courage, dependence, trust, strength, and faith.
Jesus wants us to come to him in times of vulnerability and dependence. Jesus wants us to have courage and the strength to pray to him, to listen quietly, to sit in stillness, and bring our sorrows, joys, and requests. Jesus wants us to trust him. Jesus wants us to have faith.
Be still right now, pray to Jesus asking him for what you need today, and have faith that it will be delivered. (Costanzo, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The blind man knows that Jesus is the Son of David and the Messiah,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"The blind man must have understood that the sight of the blind cannot be restored by human means but requires, on the contrary, a divine power and an authority such as God only possesses. With God nothing whatsoever is impossible. The blind man came near to him as to the omnipotent God. How then does he call him the Son of David? What can one answer to this? The following is perhaps the explanation. Since he was born and raised in Judaism, of course, the predictions contained in the law and the holy prophets concerning Christ had not escaped his knowledge. He heard them chant that passage in the book of the Psalms, 'The Lord has sworn in truth to David, and will not annul it, saying: "of the fruit of your loins I will set a king upon your throne"' (Psalm 132:11).
"The blind man also knew that the blessed prophet Isaiah said, 'There will spring up a shoot from the root of Jesse, and from his root a flower will grow up' (Isaiah 11:1). Isaiah also said, 'Behold, a virgin will conceive and bring forth a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us' (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14). He already believed that the Word, being God, of his own will had submitted to be born in the flesh of the holy Virgin. He now comes near to him as to God and says, 'Have mercy on me, Son of David.' Christ testifies that this was his state of mind in offering his petition. He said to him, 'Your faith has saved you.'"(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 126) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 18:35-43 asks, wouldn't it be wonderful to have experienced that miracle? We all have the same longing as the man in today’s Gospel: we want to see. Most of all—and even if we don’t recognize it—we want to see Jesus and follow where he leads.
Guess what? Jesus will be passing by you today! He will be there in prayer or at Mass, when you can call out to him in need and rejoice in signs of his love. He will be there, ready to give you his full attention. His healing presence will be close by as the Holy Spirit brings a new understanding of God’s love or an insight into his word that calms your troubled heart. He will be there in your fellow believers, who might share an encouraging—or challenging—word or who might offer to pray with you. And he will be there in those who are poor and neglected, who might bring you healing as you care for them and love them with the love of Christ.
So call out to Jesus today. Bring him your needs and your hopes and your dreams. Let him heal you and lead you in his ways.
“Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me! Lord, let me see you today!” (Meditation on Luke 18:35-43, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that, in the Maccabees reading, we hear the rise of the Seleucid Empire that stretched from Turkey to Afghanistan. Emperor Antiochus IV's goal was to be proclaimed as a god and have uniformity in the empire. Some Jews in Jerusalem wanted to be like the Greeks with the gymnasium and sacrifice to gods. A rebellion broke out around 180 BCE against Seleucid oppression. In Luke, Jesus is on the way to Jericho and is interrupted by being addressed as “Jesus, Son of David”. The one who acknowledges Jesus is physically blind. Friar Jude urges that with our prayers we should be insistent. The blind man wanted to see and Jesus declares “You have been saved,” an indication of being healed both spiritually and physically.
Fr. Mike Schmitz highlights how Jesus didn't pray in order to get something from God, he prayed in order to be close to God. He also points to Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane as a perfect example of how we should pray with honesty and trust. Lastly, Fr. Mike provides insights on the significance of the walk to Emmaus and Jesus' last words on the cross. The readings are Luke 22:39-24:53 and Proverbs 26:20-23.
CAC faculty member Brian McLaren is concerned about the cost of our increasingly limited ability to see beyond our religious or political points of view. He describes how bias results when our worldviews become solidified.
People can’t see what they can’t see.
We all, yes, even me—and more shockingly, even you, have a whole set of assumptions and limitations, prejudices and preferences, likes, dislikes and triggers, fears and conflicts of interest, blind spots and obsessions that keep us from seeing what we could and would see if we didn’t have them.
We are almost always unconscious of these internal obstacles to seeing and understanding, which makes it even harder for us to address them. We are, you might say, blind to what blinds us. The name for these unconscious internal obstacles is bias.
Bias makes us resist and reject messages we should accept and accept messages we should resist and reject. In short … we can’t see what we can’t see because our biases get in the way. (McLaren, n.d.)
We implore the Spirit to make us aware of the blindness in our opinions and actions that we need to seek healing from the “Son of David”.
References
Costanzo, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-november-17-2025
Luke, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/18?35
McLaren, B. (n.d.). Not as Rational as We Think. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/not-as-rational-as-we-think/
Meditation on Luke 18:35-43. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/11/17/1431063/
1 Maccabees, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1maccabees/1?10
Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119?53
Schwager, D. (n.d.). What Do You Want Me to Do for You? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
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