OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART, I WANT TO SEE YOU ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Daily Reflections

Monday, 20^thNovember 2017.

Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time

1 Mac 1: 10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64;

Ps 118: 53,61,134, 150, 155, 158;

Lk 18: 35-43.

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART, I WANT TO SEE YOU

“…they have closed their eyes so their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them (Mt 13:15-16).”

Jesus in approaching Jericho, is on his journey to Jerusalem. He repeatedly had spoken of the suffering that is an essential part of his mission. But, the disciples failed to understand. The disciple of Jesus is symbolized by the blind man. He is needy, for he is a ‘beggar’. He is not on the way, but beside it. He cries out to Jesus as ‘Son of David’, reminiscent of Peter’s confession.

Jesus does not call the man himself, but asks the mediation of the community. Jesus, does not presume to know what the man wants, but asks him: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The man, though now blind, had seen in the past. It was the same with the disciples. They saw when Jesus called them; they saw when they watched him heal; they saw when he fed the crowds. But they kept forgetting; they kept being distracted; they kept losing the clarity of their sight. If they are ever going to understand his teaching, it will have to be he who gives them sight. Jesus assures the blind beggar that it is his ‘faith’ that makes it possible for him to be healed and so to see. The only sight the disciple can have is the seeing of faith. It is faith, and nothing else, that makes it possible for the disciple to ‘follow him’ on his journey to Jerusalem, to the Cross.

In our Christian life too, we too have experienced Jesus, in a special way through the sacraments. But later, we have closed our eyes and followed Jesus in a limited way. We have been bystanders, rather than followers. Like the blind man, sitting by the side, we need to cry out to him in our distress. Jesus will heed our call, for he wants us to ‘follow him on the way’, the only way that leads to true life.

Prayer: Lord, You are the light of the world. I want to follow you for you are the light that leads to life. Let me receive my sight, so that I may see you and follow You perfectly. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.