One may wonder, after hearing this passage from the Gospel of St. Mark,
why didn't the Lord simply heal the blind man entirely in one swift move? Why two steps?
We have to remember that there are two steps in seeing in this world. Well,
the first step is the natural step. We see each other, we see the things of this world,
all the things that are sensible, but we don't see things that are invisible. Some of them we
can know about, we can reason to their existence, as they say, provide an argument,
for the existence of God. But no man has seen God, nor can he see him, says St. Paul. St. John
tells us the same thing in the prologue to his Gospel. No man has ever seen God,
the only begotten Father has seen him, the God-man, son of Mary, and he has told us about
him. And that brings us to the second step in seeing, faith.
That enables us to see not only the things that God's light enlightens, makes plain to us,
but the light himself. Christ tells us in the Gospel, I am the light of the world. Walk while
you have the light, for the time is coming when you will not have the light that I am,
and you will not see anything. So the question should be not why there
are two steps in seeing, faith, or the natural step, but why two steps in seeing, faith, or the
natural step, because there are two steps in coming to see. The first is the natural
sight that we have, and the second is that more perfect, more far-seeing vision that
faith gives us. But why at the first step did men and women appear like trees walking?
It's a message to all of us. Without the light of faith, without, as it were, being able
to perceive Jesus here presently.
And I refer, of course, not to that historical presence and the way in which he was seen
by those even who did not have faith, but the way in which we do see him here, really,
truly, substantially present. It is only when we see each other, it is only when we
see the things of this world in the light of Christ's relationship do we see clearly
and plainly.
Thus, the healing that we receive in baptism, that new sight of faith, also touches our
natural sight.
If it is true that we are not all, as it were, totally blind naturally, so long as we do
not have the gift of faith, the light of faith, we don't see all things distinctly. What happens
so often? Ancient times, the vast majority of men and women were treated like slaves.
Only good, to the extent that they were good for someone else's use, whatever that might
be.
And isn't it true that we have seen the same thing happen in our times in the last
hundred years? One dictatorship, one totalitarian system after another, treating persons made
in the image and the likeness of God as nothing more than chattel.
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no better than a pig or a chicken
confused with the animals
confused with the wood
to be thrown into the fire
we think of the gas ovens of concentration camps
these things help us to understand
the distinction that our Lord is bringing to us
our attention with this great sign and miracle
the miracle he has worked for all of us in baptism
how important it is
to begin to cultivate
that new light
that new sight
to see ourselves in relationship to Jesus
to see the things of this world that he has given to us
not as things to be abused
for our momentary pleasure
or perhaps vice
but to be used in something
such wise that we come to know
and to love
and to serve our dear Savior
and strive to prepare ourselves for that stupendous moment
when he will call us from this vale of tears
to the everlasting joys of his company in heaven
is not that why he told the blind man
now don't go
don't go into the village
don't become immersed
in all the things of the marketplace
of politics
of pushing one's
self to be number one
on the bestseller list of the New York Times
but first
see to it that you seek first the kingdom of God
and his justice
you have the sight
to know the way
I am the way
the life
and the truth
and the life
no one goes to the Father
except through me
and that brings us to our final reflection
all these things
is it not through our daily
that we come to know Jesus
and to know Jesus
and to know Jesus
and to know Jesus
and to know Jesus
and to know Jesus
and to know Jesus
that we come to know his love
and we come to love him
as he loves us
and find it an honor
and a privilege
to be united with him
in his sacrifice
to be able to say
and admit publicly
yes I am one of his
and I wish to God
that everyone else were
these are the things
that we should have in mind
as once again
we prepare ourselves
to participate
in the sacrifice
of Jesus
the Eucharistic sacrifice
and to receive him worthily
and joyfully
into our bodies
our hearts
our souls
he who has told us
I am the life
and the resurrection
he who has promised us
who eats of my flesh
and drinks of my blood
will not die
I will raise him up
on the last day
let us thank him especially
for it was in the context
of this sacrifice
that he gave us
and still gives us
his mother as our mother
that we can count on her always
not only to intervene
after the difficulty arises
but that she will always
be intervening
even before
we have to confront
a difficulty
so that we might indeed
always stay
on that one straight
and narrow way
the only way
yes
leading to Calvary
leading to the way
leading to this altar
but also leading to heaven
that we have
when we have him within us
that wonderful foretaste
of the joys of heaven
that wonderful assurance
the 100% objective grounds
for our hope
let us resolve always
to love him
and in loving him
to love our heavenly father
as he did on the cross
always doing his will
and to love our neighbor
as ourselves
as he loved
each one of us
by name
on that
in that stupendous hour
which continues
even now
in this most wonderful
sacrifice
and banquet
praise be Jesus
and Mary