Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Tag: Blindness

  • LONG In Faith

    LONG In Faith

    October 27, 2024 – 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102724.cfm)

    We cannot deny Life during Covid pandemic times had rendered our lives unstable, unclear, and unknown. With the challenging reality upon us then, we found ourselves  disable & limited. Somehow someway, not unlike Blind Bartimaeus in our gospel today, if not blinded by the overwhelming difficulties we were facing, we were sightless & without a vision.

    And when the Lord would ask us then, “What do you want Me to do for You?” without a doubt, we do have a lot of wants and needs from Him, to at least save our day. But over & above our urgent needs & wants from the Lord, we do want always some clear vision & direction as we face the life-challenges. Like Blind Bartimaeus, our difficult condition calls for more than just sympathy, concerns & assistance but most of all, a new clear set of meaning, ability & purpose in life. Like Bartimaeus, deep inside we cry before the Lord praying: “Lord, I want to see”. Somehow this is what we want the Lord to do for us: “Lord, we want to see.”

    Without question, the Lord will show us & reveal to us life amidst, behind & beyond challenging realities. He will give us sight, direction & vision in life as we struggle with it now and ahead. But we also have to do our part for the miracle to happen & blessings to be revealed to us, for us to see not only in sight, but in Faith. And we have much to learn from Bartimaeus here.

    First, same way as he listens of the Lord’s arrival, we do need to be sensitive of the Lord’s presence in our midst. Second, we do need to call the attention of our Lord & others about our own presence: “Lord, have pity on Me.” Third, we need to throw ourselves on His mercy & express our needs & intentions, praying: “Lord, I want to see.” And above all, we must trust & have faith in Him with His plans, ways & will for the grace of sight, vision, inspiration & direction to happen.

    The LORD’s Presence, OUR presence, our Needs & His Graces with our Faith are somehow the essential ingredients for us to taste & see God’s greatness in our lives despite challenging times. Same as Bartimaeus, somehow we are to (L.O.N.G. : L-ord’s, O-ur presence, in our N-eed of His G-races) LONG in FAITH for miracles to happen in our lives.

    Lord, as we look in sight what is going on with us & ahead of us, make us also long to SEE in faith what better You in store for us now & always.

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • Jesus touched for the second time

    Jesus touched for the second time

    February 15, 2023 – Wednesday of the Sixth Week  in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021523.cfm)

    For the second time, Jesus has to do it again. The blind man still could not see clearly when Jesus touched his eyes the first time. Yet, another interesting part of this healing story was on how Jesus brought the blind man away from people and out of the village and then told the man to go home but not to go back to the same village where he had been.

    This tells us that healing may not be instant and that it takes patience because healing is a process. Hence, the man was healed not just with his physical blindness but also of his spiritual blindness. The darkness that covered his eyes prevented him to not just see but also not to recognize. Hence, Jesus told him not to go back to the village of Bethsaida. That village became a symbol of unbelief, sin and rejection of God’s presence. Jesus was not welcomed there because people wanted to remain  in their wicked way of life. The people did not want Jesus to change them, to heal them and to renew their life. Thus, going back in that village would only make the man go back to the same cycle of darkness in his life.

    Indeed, the healing of this blind man tells something about the disciples and about us today. Jesus has to take the man outside the village with his disciples so that they may see and realize their blindness. The disciples have been with Jesus and have seen great things that Jesus did to the people. Yet, the disciples remained spiritually blind. Their minds were still clouded with doubts and fears. They could have seen something about Jesus but could not see it clearly.

    This blind man represented the disciples, no doubt. As Jesus did the healing, notice, that the man was not immediately healed. We may wonder, why was he not healed immediately and completely? Was it because the man doubted Jesus? Or was it because of his lack of faith?

    What was only certain was that the eyes of that man were still prevented by some darkness. He still could not see clearly. However, Jesus remained patient with the man. He did not condemn the man for having a lack of faith. Jesus has to do it again so that the man could see clearly and to take away the darkness that covered his eyes.

    Jesus was doing the same thing also with his disciples. The disciples were spiritually blind because they have not yet figured out at this moment who Jesus really was. They were still anxious of what to eat and what to do even though Jesus was with them. Hence, Jesus taught something to them through the healing of this blind man.

    We too are just like the disciples and that blind man. We could have claimed that we have seen and understood something about our faith, about the Church, about Jesus or even about other people and ourselves, yet, not completely. Not completely and not clearly because we might be prevented by our fears, anxieties, by our pain and trauma or even biases. We might also be trapped in the cycle of self-pity or self-righteousness and arrogance, in the cycle of blaming others over our failures or in bitterness and hatred, or in the cycle of habitual sins, addictions or unhealthy coping mechanisms because we find life already dark and hopeless.

    It would be good for us today to identify and recognize aspects and areas in our life that prevent us from truly believing in Jesus, from truly believing that we can be healed, be at peace and reconciled, be free and truthful about ourselves and to what surrounds us today.

    Let us be assured also that Jesus will be patient with us. So, let us allow him to touch us even for a second time so that any forms of darkness in our eyes and hearts may disappear and that we may see Jesus clearly among our sisters and brothers, no matter who they may be. Let us allow Jesus to challenge and to bring us out of those unhealthy cycles that only bring us to darkness and blindness. May the grace of healing grant us freedom, peace and life. Hinaut pa.                 

  • A Continual Conversion of the Heart

    A Continual Conversion of the Heart

    January 25, 2021 – Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012521.cfm)

    Have you ever experienced in your life where you thought that everything is well and perfectly in order? Or an experience where we have decided alone to take this path or that direction because we have completely believed in our own capacity and principles? Yet, at the end we found ourselves broken into pieces because all along we were not doing the right thing. 

    Saul or Paul had this kind of experience. Saul really thought that he was a righteous man and that he was a very good man, that he did things well and that he was successful in everything. He thought he was holy and righteous enough for God. He was full of zeal and very convinced of the direction he was taking in life.

    Being a righteous Jew, he wanted to defend the Jewish religion against all its enemies. This made Saul to persecute the followers of the Way (the old name of the Christians) whom he believed to be threats to their established religion.

    Yet, he did not know that he was very misguided, that he was not seeing the right things. In fact, Saul was not aware that he was being blinded by his own self-righteousness and rigidity to the Jewish law by persecuting the early Christians. He was not aware of that but not until he was able to encounter the Lord on the ROAD TO DAMASCUS.

    Remember, the Lord is the Light of the World, it was very symbolic that Saul had become aware of his own blindness when he encountered the True Light, Jesus. When light shone upon him then he became aware that he was in darkness, his spiritual blindness manifested through his physical blindness. That awareness of his own blindness prompted him to seek healing. A servant of the Lord, Ananias was instrumental to Saul’s healing and recovery of sight, thus, he was able to see clearly.

    This encounter with the light, with Jesus is the very experience of conversion of Saul who later on was known as Paul, a symbol of a new beginning and a new mission to fulfill. Paul through that encounter with the Risen Lord transformed his life and re-evaluated everything in his life as a Pharisee and as a person. As a result, he became an apostle to the Gentiles and a very important figure in the history of early Christianity by founding Churches and writing letters in the New Testament.

    This brings us then to the invitation of this feast. We are called to a continual conversion of our hearts – because we have also our own blindness, especially when we think that we are righteous enough before God, thinking that that gives us the power to persecute others and eliminate those who are against us. We can be blinded by our own complacency thinking that going to church even on a regular basis and just by saying our memorized prayers everyday are enough before God. We can be blinded by our arrogance that we can do things perfectly even without the help of God. We can be blinded by our own opinions by insisting that what we believe is true but without minding the facts. We can be blinded also by our own weaknesses when we think that we are already trapped in that weakness and thus, couldn’t move anymore and couldn’t do anything.

    There is always something more and this is what the Lord is telling us today by making us remember that story of conversion of Paul – that being a Christian, our faith in Jesus is not only about the observance of laws and doctrines but also showing mercy to others as what Paul experienced in his encounter with the Risen Lord. And that experience will move us to preach the Gospel – this is basically what our gospel reading is telling us now. Preach the Gospel – your God experiences – to all by our words and example.

    Thus, we are reminded today to COME TO THE LIGHT AND NOT TO BE AFRAID OF HIM – to come nearer to Jesus. We come to him in the hope that we too will become aware of our own blindness – of that self-righteousness, of those arrogant opinions of ours, of that complacency and self-pity in us – so that we will be able to seek healing. When this happens, God will certainly inspire us to become preachers of the good news to all by our words and deeds. Hinaut pa.

  • Touch us Lord to Heal our Blindness

    Touch us Lord to Heal our Blindness

    December 4, 2020 – Friday of the First Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120420.cfm)

    Homily

    The miracle of making the blind see has been foretold by the prophets. This is even a recurring theme the Bible. Our first reading from Prophet Isaiah told us that the Messiah shall open the eyes of the blind. It says, “And our of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.” God grants healing to our blindness and insights to our spirit.

    In our gospel, what I find interesting was the perseverance of the two blind men. They had been following Jesus, crying and shouting, “SON OF DAVID, HAVE PITY ON US!” They did not just appear from nowhere but they had been following Jesus. And if you have noticed, these two blind men were one of those who truly recognized Jesus as the Messiah despite their physical blindness. These men did not see physically the face of Jesus or see personally his other miracles. They were dependent on others who conveyed to them the person of Jesus.

    It is good then for us to look closely at this particular scenario of the two blind men meeting Jesus. The two were very desperate. They have been crying out loud, saying, SON OF DAVID, HAVE PITY, HAVE COMPASSION, HAVE MERCY ON US! Yet, Jesus seemed not to hear them. But the two persisted and still followed the Lord. But, when Jesus was about to enter a house, they were able to catch up with him, and the two seized that opportunity.

    At that moment, Jesus himself asked them, “DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT I CAN HELP YOU? THAT I CAN HEAL YOU?” Without their complete trust in the Lord, Jesus cannot do anything. Surprisingly, both of them were eager in responding, YES, LORD, WE BELIEVE IN YOU! AND WE TRUST IN YOU!

    The trust of these blind men allowed Jesus to TOUCH them gently and lovingly. And their eyes were opened. What they received was more than physical sight, they gained insight too by seeing the Lord. That experience overwhelmed their hearts with joy and gratefulness. Despite the command of Jesus not to tell others about it, they cannot but share to others what they have experienced.

    Jesus indeed is the Messiah and the two blind men taught us that we will only recognize the Lord through the eyes of faith, of complete trust in the Lord even if the Lord seems not to hear our prayers or seems to have not seen our difficulty in life. However, with fervent prayer and unwavering trust in God who loves us, God will also ask us, “DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN ME?” It is only when we put our complete trust in the Lord, that we allow him to touch and heal us.

    Today, we are reminded to be aware of our own blindness. I am sure, there can be areas of blindness in our lives that need healing. We all struggle with weakness and disability of one kind or another, in ways where we are broken and vulnerable. These can be in terms of our own relationship with friends, family members or co-workers and even within ourselves. It is good that we identify our own blindness and ask the Lord to touch and heal us. Let this be our prayer now, to be persistent in that, that the Lord will heal our own blindness so that we will see him and know him clearly.

    In this way, we will surely be able to celebrate Christmas with a heart filled with joy and gratitude in the Lord who touches and heals us. Hinaut pa.

  • Faith is loud and so make it daring

    Faith is loud and so make it daring

    November 16, 2020 – Monday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111620.cfm)

    Homily

    Faith is loud and it echoes into the heart of God and into the hearts of many. Our Gospel today tells us about this, in the beautiful healing story of a blind beggar. Let us explore his story.

    The blind man was sitting by the roadside and by being on the side, this tells us that he did not belong to the privileged people. He was one of the despised and outcast because he was ill. He was blind and so people believed that he was cursed. He was considered unclean and so people would not dare touch him.

    Yet, this blind man believed in the Son of David. His physical blindness did not prevent him to recognize that the Lord was near and that God was in Jesus. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” The Blind man must have heard a lot already about Jesus. The stories he heard made him believe that Jesus too can heal him.

    However, people around him seemed to discourage him. They wanted to keep him silent, yet, he cried louder all the more. This tells us that true faith is neither passive nor indifferent. Faith is always loud. Faith disturbs the arrogant and the powerful, that is why, they would try to keep faith silent, to suppress and kill it.

    He was not afraid to show his faith because he truly believed in Jesus. This is what Jesus wants us, that is, to make our faith daring and loud. Faith leads us to listen to Jesus’ invitation and to respond to his call.

    This is what the blind man showed. Jesus called him and he was brought to Jesus. Indeed, as faith moves us, faith also moves God and moves people around us. Notice the movements then. The loud faith of the Blind Man, caught the attention of Jesus and so was moved by the expression of the man’s faith. This made the people to be also moved and helped the man to move closer to Jesus.

    Moving closer to Jesus also requires us to let go of our habits and attitudes that kept us stagnant, passive and unmoved. Letting go and moving towards God, will help us to listen carefully to Jesus, to his desire for us. The words of Jesus was so moving, he said, “What do you want me to do for you?” The Lord knows what we need. But then, Jesus wanted the man to name what he needed – to recognize his blindness. Healing can only begin when we recognize what is wrong with us. Thus, any medication will not work if we continue to deny our true illness.

    Thus, the response of the blind man to Jesus was an expression of self-awareness. He said, “Lord, please let me see.” Consequently, we are invited by Jesus to name our own blindness, our own illness and the evil that is within us so that Jesus can work in and through us.

    The man began to see when Jesus made him realize that his faith saved him. This was because the man believed in Jesus that he began to see the face of God in Jesus which moved him too to follow the Lord.

    God invites us today, first, to make our faith daring and loud. Second, to let go of whatever that prevents us from going near to Jesus. And third, to name and speak of the blindness, the illness and the evil that is within us.

    Hopefully, by responding to Jesus with our faith we too shall experience healing and begin to see clearly the face of God among ourselves and especially among those who are continually oppressed and abused by the evil structure creeping in our culture today. Hinaut pa.