Lord, Help Us To See

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin
Posted

There are several incidents in the Gospels in which Jesus cured the blind and allowed them to see. These miracles are among the most dramatic miracles that Jesus performed, for they completely changed the lives of the people he touched. But it’s good to recall, too, that in working his miracles, Jesus was concerned not only for the physical well-being of those who turned to him, but for their spiritual health as well.
For example, when Jesus cured the man born blind at the Pool of Siloam, recorded in St. John’s Gospel, he told his disciples that the miracle would take place “so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” And after the cure, in his dialogue with the now sighted man, Jesus led him to profess his newfound faith: “I do believe, Lord,” he said and worshipped Jesus whom he could now recognize as the “Son of Man.”
The ability to see is a blessing, one that we should never take for granted. And we should assist and pray for those who are blind and visually impaired. Theirs is often a heavy burden to carry. But there’s a sense too, a spiritual sense, in which we all need to see better, and we should ask Jesus to assist us and cure our blindness
What do we need to see more clearly? Well, we should surely look upon the sufferings and struggles and pains of our brothers and sisters around the world and in our own communities. We need to see, also, and appreciate the beauty of nature and how fragile it is. And we should try to see more clearly the goodness, kindness and generosity that is all around us.
But perhaps what we first need to see more clearly is ourselves; to see ourselves as God sees us. Think about it: Do we really see and assess honestly our sins and failures and take responsibility for them, or do we tend to rationalize them away? Do we see and understand how much we depend upon God’s goodness and grace in our lives every day? Do we see the many ways in which we profit from the kindness and support of other good and caring people? And while we acknowledge the weight of our sins, do we also see the authentic goodness within us, the countless good, kind and charitable deeds we have performed during our lifetimes? For these things, too, the good things, will be part of our final judgment.
Something to think about: Insight is as important as sight. Ask Jesus to help you see.