July 23
How Blind Are You?
07/23/2017
How Blind Are You?
Fr. Al Demos, July 23, 2017
Today’s Gospel teaches that Jesus healed two blind men who were deprived of their sense of sight. But just what exactly does it mean for someone to be blind?
The dictionary gives various examples:
- To be unable to see because of injury, disease, or a congenital condition. “He was born without sight”.
- To lack perception, awareness, or discernment... "he's absolutely blind where you're concerned, isn't he?"
- To cause (someone) to be unable to see, permanently or temporarily..."the injury temporarily blinded him"
- To deprive (someone) of understanding, judgment, reason or perception...“he was blinded by his faith"
- Being unable to see clearly..."he was the first pilot in history to fly blind"
The two blind men could not see. But, according to the descriptions above, many of us can be blinded in various ways:
We hold slanted positions of bias because we seek that which we agree with rather than seeing both sides of an issue and seeking what is right and truthful. That is self-blindness!
We may also blind others with our own viewpoint, especially if we know it’s wrong and we dare to present it as factual and true. That is imposed blindness!
There may be times when we, as Christians, should be sympathetic by comprehending what others are suffering; instead we may be unsympathetic and indifferent, not realizing our own ignorance of how others feel, think, believe and live. That is cruel blindness!
So, while we think we are sighted, many may be more blind than they realize. When, as a student, I ministered to the needs of a blind student at Perkins School for the Blind in Waltham, MA., I soon came to realize how blind I was in comparison to the sight impaired people at that school. They played basketball, they bowled, they played musical instruments, they led me around campus where they walked freely and I had to avoid bumping into things. I soon was asking myself, “Who is really blind?”
They could see more by one's voice inflection and by holding one's hand than I could see by looking at someone's face. They had lost their sight, but were far more insightful than I could ever hope to be. To say their example was inspiring is nowhere near enough!
Beloved in Christ, please realize and acknowledge that our Lord Jesus Christ came to heal and save humanity through His Divine love and compassion, His completely insightful understanding and immeasurable mercy. St. Matthew’s Gospel (13:14-17) quotes Christ speaking to His disciples as well as to all of us, “But, blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
Just listen to the prayer of anointing that conveys what I now endeavor to say – that the reality of the healing ministry of the Church is found in the loving compassion and merciful affection of God for His children. It is God who heals in and through His Church. “O Holy Father, Physician of our souls and bodies, Who did send Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who heals every infirmity and delivers from death: Do You heal Thy servants of the bodily and spiritual infirmities which possess them. Enliven them through the grace of Thy Christ: For Thou art the Fountain of healing, O God, our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with Thine Only-begotten Son, and Thy Holy Spirit, One in Essence, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.”
Do you see Christ’s purpose for your precious life? Can you remove the shackles that blind you to God’s beautiful Divine Presence within you? For Jesus went about “teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.” And as He said when He healed the blind men, "According to your faith, be it done unto you."
