MONDAY: HOMILY - 33RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

MONDAY: HOMILY – 33RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

THEME: Open Your Eyes

By: Deacon Bill Frere

Pistachio the Camel, Dead Sea

For years we wondered why our grandson was so reluctant to dunk his head when he would go swimming. Then we found out it was all because he couldn’t see underwater. So we got him a specialized set of googles and the world changed. The family went on a vacation to Mexico and he was all about swimming and exploring underwater grottos! What a change when he could finally see clearly!

Today’s Gospel speaks a lot about sight and blindness. A blind man calls out to Jesus in words that say “I know you; you are the Messiah.” In a society where sickness and disease were to be avoided and kept silent, his voice rang out strong and clear! And in spite of his human blindness, he is the one who sees clearly because he sees with the eyes of faith! And the Pharisees, who have no physical illness, are the ones who are really blind!

The Pharisees focus only on the externals – the Law – and not the heart! But the blind man recognizes Jesus as Prophet, as Lord, and that faith causes him to stand up to the Pharisees and call out to Jesus.

We live in troubling and uncertain times. We survive one ‘hiccup’ in our lives and are immediately faced with another more serious dilemma. We find ourselves emptied of energy and hope. And if we look only with our human eyes, it is difficult to see much that is good or hopeful. But there are plenty of signs of God working in our human condition, moments where the light is beginning to shine bright, moments where there is a promise of unity and healing. God calls us all to see beyond the distrust and animosity, beyond the physical pain and emotional stress. He calls us to see with the eyes of faith and hope. He calls us to see His presence even when life seems cold and unforgiving and then to call out to God is a loud and strong voice – Son of David, have pity on me; help me to see clearly!

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