The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seek to see the environment around us with the eyes of gratitude for our blessings and hope for healing of discord in our communities.
Blessings and Hope
In response to his call from God, Father Roberto was led from his native Italy to bring the light of Christ and to teach about Christianity to many people and communities in his adopted country of Canada. He gave us increased faith, renewed hope, and hearts open to charity. May he rest in peace.
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah shares hope for the future.
* [29:17–24] The prophet presents the positive aspects of God’s plan in terms of a series of reversals: an end to pride, ignorance, and injustice. Cf. 32:3–5.1
Psalm 27 is a triumphant Song of Confidence.
* [Psalm 27] Tradition has handed down the two sections of the Psalm (Ps 27:1–6; 7–14) as one Psalm, though each part could be understood as complete in itself. Asserting boundless hope that God will bring rescue (Ps 27:1–3), the psalmist longs for the presence of God in the Temple, protection from all enemies (Ps 27:4–6). In part B there is a clear shift in tone (Ps 27:7–12); the climax of the poem comes with “I believe” (Ps 27:13), echoing “I trust” (Ps 27:3).2
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus heals two blind men.
* [9:27–31] This story was probably composed by Matthew out of Mark’s story of the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46–52). Mark places the event late in Jesus’ ministry, just before his entrance into Jerusalem, and Matthew has followed his Marcan source at that point in his gospel also (see Mt 20:29–34). In each of the Matthean stories the single blind man of Mark becomes two. The reason why Matthew would have given a double version of the Marcan story and placed the earlier one here may be that he wished to add a story of Jesus’ curing the blind at this point in order to prepare for Jesus’ answer to the emissaries of the Baptist (Mt 11:4–6) in which Jesus, recounting his works, begins with his giving sight to the blind.3
Nicky Santos, S.J. comments that as we celebrate today’s memorial, we are reminded of the zeal and vigor that marked Francis Xavier’s passion for spreading the gospel, so much so that he is considered a missionary apostle second only to Saint Paul. Francis Xavier’s strength was his total, unwavering faith in the saving power of Jesus.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus asks the two blind men who were following him if they believed he could cure them, and they said they did. As we reflect on this gospel, we can ask ourselves whether we truly believe in the saving, healing power of Jesus. We might not be called to be missionaries in distant lands but are indeed called to be missionaries wherever we are, to continue to build the kingdom of God, a kingdom of joy, peace, justice, and righteousness.4
Don Schwager quotes “They saw because they believed in the Messiah,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).
"At that point, two blind men follow the Lord as he was passing by. But if they could not see, how could the blind men know of the Lord's departure as well as his name? Moreover, they called him 'Son of David' and asked to be made well. In the two blind men, the entire earlier prefiguration [miracles in Matthew 9:18-26] is complete. The ruler's daughter seems to be from these people, namely, the Pharisees and John's disciples, who already made common cause in testing the Lord. To these unknowing persons the law gave evidence as to the one from whom they sought a cure. It indicated to them that their Savior in the flesh was of the line of David. It also introduced light to the minds of those who were blind from past sins. They could not see Christ but were told about him. The Lord showed them that faith should not be expected as a result of health but health should be expected because of faith. The blind men saw because they believed; they did not believe because they saw. From this we understand that what is requested must be predicated on faith and that faith must not be exercised because of what has been obtained. If they should believe, he offers them sight. And he charges the believers to be silent, for it was exclusively the task of the apostles to preach." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 9.9)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 9:27-31 urges that, as we pray, we also ask God for the grace to surrender the situation into his hands. It’s not always easy to offer our most pressing petitions to God and then let go of the outcome, but the more we practice, the more our trust in him will grow.
God may give you a healing, maybe even a miraculous one. Or the healing might be different than you expected, perhaps emotional or spiritual. Maybe you won’t notice any change at all. Whatever happens, Jesus hears your prayers; he is always at your side, loving you, comforting you, and sustaining you. He will bring good out of your suffering, even if you can’t see it right away. After all, he is your Redeemer. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, he has delivered you from sin and death. And that, in the end, is the greatest healing of all! “Jesus, as I pray for healing, help me to surrender all my needs into your loving hands.”6
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the universal healing, even of the ignorant, in the text from Isaiah. All God wants is our healing. Friar Jude reminds us of the gift of our faith that may be received in different measures by different people as we accept that people are trying to do the best they can.
The Franciscan Media post on St Francis Xavier comments that Francis Xavier was influenced by a good friend, Ignatius of Loyola, whose tireless persuasion finally won the young man to Christ. Francis then made the spiritual exercises under the direction of Ignatius, and in 1534, joined his little community, the infant Society of Jesus. From Venice, where he was ordained a priest in 1537, he sailed to the East Indies, landing at Goa, on the west coast of India. Xavier went through the islands of Malaysia, then up to Japan. From Japan he had dreams of going to China, but this plan was never realized. Before reaching the mainland, he died. His remains are enshrined in the Church of Good Jesus in Goa. He and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux were declared co-patrons of the missions in 1925.
All of us are called to “go and preach to all nations—see Matthew 28:19. Our preaching is not necessarily on distant shores but to our families, our children, our husband or wife, our coworkers. And we are called to preach not with words, but by our everyday lives. Only by sacrifice, the giving up of all selfish gain, could Francis Xavier be free to bear the Good News to the world. Sacrifice is leaving yourself behind at times for a greater good, the good of prayer, the good of helping someone in need, the good of just listening to another. The greatest gift we have is our time. Francis Xavier gave his to others.7
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, keeping with his Franciscan tradition, teaches that we can find God’s freely given image in all of creation, beginning with ourselves!
Jesus pushes this seeing to the social edge. Can we recognize the image of Christ in the least of our fellow human beings? That is his only description of the final judgment (see Matthew 25). Nothing about ten commandments, nothing about church attendance—simply a matter of our ability to see. Can we meet Christ in the “nobodies” who can’t play our game of success? In those who cannot reward us in return? When we see the image of God where we are not accustomed to seeing the image of God, then we see with the infinitely tender eyes of God.8
As we seek the vision of the image of God in all people we are encouraged by hope of transformation through the guidance of the Spirit.
References
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