Daily Reflections ...

The blind men encountered Jesus, and although they could not see, they knew Jesus and knew he was the Messiah. Isn’t it interesting that they were able to ‘see’ something that others with sight could not? They instinctively accepted Jesus in faith, revealed in their claiming him as Lordʼ. They turned to Jesus and, because of their faith, they were able to see ‘spiritually’ before they were able to see again physically.

Having called out to Jesus in faith and at the top of their voices, they recognise in themselves a level of need that goes beyond the purely physical, and they find themselves crying out for mercy. So, in their heartfelt need, Jesus responds to them with mercy and compassion.

Pope Francis reflects on this scene by reminding us that Jesus Christ is the “light that brightens the ‘nights’ of the heart and the world. (In Jesus is) the light that overcomes the darkness and triumphs over blindness” (Pope Francis homily Dec 3, 2021).

The Pope speaks eloquently of Jesus in his defining document, The Joy of the Gospel. There he encourages us to reach out toward Jesus in faith and with all the desire of our hearts. For “whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realise that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms… with a tenderness which never disappoints… he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew” (EG, 3).

Do I fail to see and reach out to Jesus from my heart? Do I turn to him for the healing that would allow me to follow him more closely?

by Lisa McKerr