First reading Isaiah 29:17-24
In a very short time, the deaf will hear and the eyes of the blind will see
The Lord says this:
In a short time, a very short time,
shall not Lebanon become fertile land
and fertile land turn into forest?
The deaf, that day,
will hear the words of a book
and, after shadow and darkness,
the eyes of the blind will see.
But the lowly will rejoice in the Lord even more
and the poorest exult in the Holy One of Israel;
for tyrants shall be no more, and scoffers vanish,
and all be destroyed who are disposed to do evil:
those who gossip to incriminate others,
those who try at the gate to trip the arbitrator
and get the upright man’s case dismissed for groundless reasons.
Therefore the Lord speaks,
the God of the House of Jacob,
Abraham’s redeemer:
No longer shall Jacob be ashamed,
no more shall his face grow pale,
for he shall see what my hands have done in his midst,
he shall hold my name holy.
They will hallow the Holy One of Jacob,
stand in awe of the God of Israel.
Erring spirits will learn wisdom
and murmurers accept instruction.
Responsorial Psalm 26(27):1,4,13-14
The Lord is my light and my help.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
The Lord is my light and my help.
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
The Lord is my light and my help.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
The Lord is my light and my help.
Gospel Matthew 9:27-31
‘Take care that no-one learns about this’
As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, ‘Take pity on us, Son of David.’ And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up with him and he said to them, ‘Do you believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Sir, we do.’ Then he touched their eyes saying, ‘Your faith deserves it, so let this be done for you.’ And their sight returned. Then Jesus sternly warned them, ‘Take care that no one learns about this.’ But when they had gone, they talked about him all over the countryside.
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The eyes of the blind shall be open
In today’s gospel, the two blind men followed Jesus and shouted their deepest needs to Him. Their hearts were filled with hope, knowing that Jesus had the power to restore their sight. With unwavering faith, they called out to Him with the yearning to be freed from the darkness that had shrouded their world for so long. Like the two blind men, we too carry a profound blindness within our hearts that prevents us from perceiving God’s presence in our lives and hindering us from valuing the inherent dignity of those around us. This inner darkness causes us to live in preconceptions and distractions, preventing us from truly loving God and others.
In this Advent season, let us go close to Jesus, share our needs with Him and trust wholeheartedly that He alone can bring His true light that illuminates the darkness in us and brings His peace, hope and love to our hearts. Let Jesus open our eyes so that we may see Him and others with renewed vision, and touch our hearts to help us find the strength to love again.
Reflective question:
Am I open to recognizing my spiritual blindness?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
