SEEING CLEARLY BY GOD'S GRACE – 02/16/22 (Wednesday)

Mark 8:23-26

23 And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and laid His hands upon him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24 And he looked up and said, "I see men; but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then again He laid His hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and saw everything clearly. 26 And He sent him away to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."

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Blessed Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time! The blind man was gradually healed, not immediately healed, by Jesus. At first, he saw people walking like trees until he regained his sight fully at the second attempt. This represented the gradual healing by God from our spiritual blindness. It is a long journey and process of healing, not an instant transformation. When Jesus commanded him not to go back to the village, it symbolized how we should not go back to our sinful ways and how we should stay away from temptations that could make us spiritually blind again. 

In what way can we see clearly? The more we become open to God's graces and healing mercy, the more that we can see our sins and seek to avoid them. At the same time, we can recognize the people around us in a way that God sees them. We can recognize that they are also wounded people. As such, we should be cautious when we are tempted to be frustrated at other people or angry at them. Just as Jesus is patient with us in our long journey, He is also inviting us to be patient with others who are struggling in their lives. At the same time, we can avoid belittling people who are poor and unfortunate. Rather, God will reveal to us the importance of sharing the blessings that we receive to them. The reason is because we see that Jesus is present in their lives, and as we love them, we can also love our Lord.

Like the blind man, may we never lose our hope and faith in our Lord Jesus even if there are times when it's difficult to see the presence of God. Let's be patient with ourselves and with others in our journey of healing. As we hear God's word, we should reflect and ponder on how we can practice His teachings more into our own lives. By doing this, our hearts become more prepared to be fully transformed by His love. 

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic