15-Feb-17

Gospel MK 8:22-26

When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
"Do you see anything?"
Looking up the man replied, "I see people looking like trees and walking."
Then he laid hands on the man's eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, "Do not even go into the village."

Reflection:

"When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him."

I love this line for it speaks to the love and concern of our "faith"community: "people brought" the man to Jesus.

Isn't this what we still do today when one of our loved ones is sick?
Don't we turn to our "faith community?"
Our faith community may be our parish or church, or it may simple be our circle of faith-filled friends and family. Their first response is that they will pray for us; they will "bring us" to Jesus in prayer.

"He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village."

I think Jesus led the man "outside the village" because He wanted the first thing for the man to see to be Him. The same is true for us; we only see the truth when our eyes are opened and we see Jesus Christ.

Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
"Do you see anything?"
Looking up the man replied, "I see people looking like trees and walking."

When I lived a cursillo retreat back in 1986, it had been thirty years since my last confession. After a day or two of soul searching, I finally found the courage to seek reconciliation with the Lord.

After going to confession, I felt a sense of relief but I did not have the complete sense of peace that I had been seeking.

"Then he laid hands on the man's eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.'

The next day I returned to the same priest. He listened and then gently laid his hand on my shoulder and gave me absolution a second time.

Smiling, he explained, "Sometimes we need a second touch. Go now and be at peace."

"What's broken can be mended. What hurts can be healed. No matter how dark it gets, if we turn to God, He will enable us to see the sun rise again." - - Unknown