In today’s Gospel, we see how sight is restored to a blind man. The healing is gradual. This is how the disciples of Christ and we their descendants in the faith learn. Gradually. Slowly. Painstakingly. With the passage of time and dint of effort, faith grows, and our spiritual vision is sharpened. But only if we remain close to the Lord.
Touched By the Lord
In Bethsaida of Galilee, people bring a blind man and beg Jesus to touch him. Jesus takes the man by the hand and leads him outside the village. He puts spittle on his blind eyes, but the cure is not instantaneous. After the second touch, the healing is complete. Sometimes, it takes several touches to be cured by the Master. This is akin to the sacraments of initiation. In Baptism, we receive the indelible mark on our soul, and we become children of God! Spectacular as this is, it is not enough.
We the baptized could easily fall into the trap of thinking we see clearly, but in reality, our perceptions are but hazy and distorted. We need to persevere and mature this faith. Confirmation, the bookend sacrament that completes our initiation helps us to see more clearly. But it is still only the end of the beginning. Growing closer to the Lord is a lifelong process for our human reality, we absolutely need Jesus to touch and to heal, to lead and to cleanse – until we can see distinctly.
Building Altars
“The desires of man’s heart are evil from the start.” Gen 8:21
In the book of Genesis, the inhabitants of the ark are the sole survivors of the Great Flood which inundated the earth for one hundred and fifty days. In thanksgiving, Noah’s immediate action is to build an altar and offer sacrifice to the Lord. The ark of Noah is a precursor of baptism. Cue paragraph 1262 of the Catechism:
The different effects of Baptism are signified by the perceptible elements of the sacramental rite. Immersion in water symbolizes not only death and purification, but also regeneration and renewal. Thus, the two principal effects are purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit. CCC 1262
The ark of Noah is also like the bark of Peter. It is within the safe confines of the Church that we are nourished, protected and find safety and salvation.
Ring Out the Old
After the man is fully cured and able to see distinctly, Jesus sends the man home saying to him: “Do not even go into the village.” Mk 8:26
We are not provided any further details as to why the former blind man is advised not to return to the tried and the familiar. One thing is certain. This marks a turning point in the man’s life. Until a few minutes ago, he could only see in his mind’s eye. Now, bright new vistas open up for his physical eyes too. And he is instructed what not to do. No clear directions for the future course of his life are provided. This he is left to discern for himself. Like the protagonist of the gospel, we too are sometimes faced with a new phase of life that vastly differs from our recent reality. Seeking out the Master and begging Him to touch our lives would be the best thing we could do.
The moral for today seems to be this. Opening ourselves up to the Lord can radically transform us as in the case of the blind man or can gradually change us from the inside out. Our job seems to be to open up to the Lord. And then He can act!
Thanks, once again Patrick/Julie. A good read.
Keep ’em coming.
Thank you Pat, a lovely reflection of the Word of God.
May our good and merciful Lord continue “to gradually change us from the inside out’ 🤍