Tag: blind

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

But [Bartimaeus] kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

As Jesus and his disciples are leaving Jericho, they come across a blind man named Bartimaeus, who hears that Jesus is passing by and begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Although people rebuked him, he kept calling out for Jesus all the more. When Jesus calls for him, Bartimaeus asks for sight. With Jesus’ words, “Go your way; your faith has saved you,” Bartimaeus receives sight immediately. Jesus as the Son of God restores his sight because of Bartimaeus’s single-minded persistence, calling out for the Lord until he answered him. With a word, Jesus brings healing present to Bartimaeus. What is one thing I can ask of the Lord today to bring before him my faith?

Lord, help me recognize, as Bartimaeus did, that you can hear me and that I can call out all the more for your mercy to receive the gift of sight. Bartimaeus, though blind, could see you through the eyes of faith; in the same way, although you are not visible to me, grant me the faith and persistence that Bartimaeus had. Help me see that you are present before me always every day. You are present, Lord, in the poor, the sick, and the suffering, who cry out to you. And you are present always in the Eucharist, in your word, in the Church, in the sacraments, and in the prayers of your people through the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help me gain sight of you through the light of faith. As the Gospel acclamation says, “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

**Announcement: Please join me in praying a novena to Saint Anthony from June 5 to June 13. I’ll return to daily Gospel reflections on June 14.**

Fourth Sunday of Lent

“Live as children of light,” Saint Paul says, “for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

“If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, worth reading and rereading because of its richness and majesty, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. John’s account of the story begins with Jesus and his disciples encountering the blind man, and the disciples asking whether the man’s blindness was caused by his own sin or that of his parents. Jesus responds that neither the man nor his parents sinned, but rather the man was born blind so that “the works of God might be made visible through him.” Jesus heals the man by spitting on the ground, making mud with the saliva, and spreading the mud over the man’s eyes. Jesus then instructs the man to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. The healing causes controversy among the Pharisees, who question the man and his parents about the healing. They are skeptical of the healing and accuse Jesus of being a sinner because he healed on the Sabbath, and they throw the man out of the synagogue. When Jesus hears about this, he approaches the man and Jesus asks if he believes that he is the Son of Man. The man says to Jesus, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worships him. Jesus tells him: “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” In this Gospel passage, the man’s physical blindness is lifted, allowing him to see the world around him. Greater yet, he gains spiritual insight into the truth of Jesus’ power and divinity and worships him. Compare this to the Pharisees who reject Jesus and his healing power remain in spiritual darkness, unable to see the truth of who Jesus is.

God, help me distinguish between blindness and sight. Keep me in your light, visible to you, and bring me to life through you. As Saint Paul says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” When the man’s physical blindness is lifted, he comes to believe in you. Bring into the light the things that lie in darkness and lead to death so that I can reject them. From the Gospel acclamation: “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.”

Lord, I want to live in the light of your truth. “Live as children of light,” Saint Paul says, “for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.” Keep me in your light, Lord!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://youtu.be/2W-KSOPWWBY

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