The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are entwined with our remembrance of two events, on this day, in Canadian history with violent roots, the Halifax explosion (1917) and the massacre of women students at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal (1989).
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| After the violence |
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah expresses hope for a future where those who err in spirit will come to understanding and those who grumble will accept instruction.
* [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 urges us to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
* [27:13] In the land of the living: or “in the land of life,” an epithet of the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 52:7; 116:9; Is 38:11), where the faithful had access to the life-giving presence of God.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
Julie Kalkowski realized what a gift it was for her to just struggle with the readings today. Spending time with God has always been a better place to be. Perhaps her struggle with today’s readings was God’s way of reinforcing the importance of making this time to spend in silence and in prayer so that we can be stouthearted and act courageously as we wait for God.
However, dwelling in God’s house can open my eyes to the ways I am blind or deaf to others. Sitting with God will help me be more patient and remind me I am not in control. Maybe it will even move me closer to the faith the blind men had in Jesus.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 suggests we sharpen our spiritual vision by imitating these two blind men. When they heard about Jesus, they believed that he could heal them. So they followed after Jesus, crying out until he stopped and turned to them. Then, when he asked whether they believed he could heal them, they confidently said yes. And with that, their eyes were opened.
We can follow after Jesus with the same kind of faith and persist in asking him to open our eyes. It’s not a complicated matter, either. We can make sure we are spending time every day in prayer and Scripture reading. We can be vigilant in repenting for any sins that cloud our consciences. And we can try our best to treat the people around us with the love and respect they deserve. This simple formula will open our eyes—and it will move us to ask others, “Do you see what I see?”6
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the details of the restoration of Israel described by Isaiah. We have to respond to God’s call to experience His full blessing. Friar Jude reminds us that God has a greater plan than we can appreciate when we petition Him.
The post by Franciscan media notes that the critical eye of modern history makes us take a deeper look at the legends surrounding Saint Nicholas. But perhaps we can utilize the lesson taught by his legendary charity, look deeper at our approach to material goods during the Christmas season, and seek ways to extend our sharing to those in real need.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that the darkness of this world will never totally go away. He has lived long enough and offered spiritual direction enough to know that darkness isn’t going to disappear, but that, as John’s Gospel says, “the light shines on inside of the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it” (John 1:5). This is our own belief in paradox and mystery, the Christian form of yin/yang.
Christian wisdom names the darkness as darkness and the Light as light and helps us learn how to live and work in the Light so that the darkness does not overcome us. If we have a pie-in-the-sky, everything is beautiful attitude, we are going to be trapped by the darkness because we don’t see clearly enough to separate the wheat from the chaff. Conversely, if we can only see the darkness and forget the more foundational Light, we will be destroyed by our own negativity and fanaticism, or we will naively think we are completely apart and above the darkness. Instead, we must wait and work with hope inside of the darkness, even our own—while never doubting the light that God always is, and that we are too (Matthew 5:14). That is the narrow birth canal of God into the world—through the darkness and into an ever-greater Light. It seems we must all let go of our false innocence to find that “God alone is good” (Mark 10:18).7
Recalling the deep tragedy of this day in Canadian history, we struggle with the darkness of evil and seek the return of the light of Love to our hearts as we anticipate the celebration of the Incarnation.
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