sight

Out of the gloom of our fallen nature, Jesus’ light will help us to see.

St. Augustine taught that the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament and the Old is revealed in the New. We see this presented in the first reading as well as in the Gospel. We read how “the deaf shall hear” and “out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see” (Isaiah 29:18). Then we read how Jesus healed the blind men who call out to him believing that he is indeed the Son of David, the messiah, the anointed one (Matthew 9:27-31).

Jesus acknowledged that their faith was a catalyst in healing them but he also pointed out covertly that they were still in need of spiritual healing. Yes, they could now physically see, but they, like the apostles and others who hoped for the messiah, were looking for their idea of a messiah that is like David, a political and military leader that will lead a revolution to overthrow the occupying power of Rome.

Jesus told them clearly not to tell anyone what had happened, because he was not about to promote a cult of personality, nor have them portray him in a false way. Yet, share they did. They shared their encounter with Jesus with great joy.

Though we may have eyes to see and ears to hear, we too can be spiritually blind to who Jesus truly is. Jesus came into the world just over two thousand years ago as, God’s Son and visible reality of God who is love. Jesus calls us to be conformed to this same love. If we see ourselves and each other with the eyes of our fallen nature, from the perspective of our past wounds, and our present day reactions, we are going to miss the mark.

The saints are those who followed Jesus in each generation from the apostles to our own. They were willing to be transformed by the fire of his love. They encountered Jesus, had faith in him, believed, and put into practice what they learned. Just as something like scales fell from the eyes of St. Paul so that he could see anew, we too can see with the eyes of faith.

Let us pray together:

Jesus, this Advent, help me to choose to walk out from the gloom and darkness of anxiety, fear, and insecurity, and place my trust in your revealing light that I may walk with confidence on your path of love. Free me from any sins, distractions, and diversions such that I may experience the closeness you know with your Father. Please help me to place my trust in you, and please heal my blindness so that I can see more clearly, reject the lies that lead me astray, and see the path that leads to the way, the truth, and the life.

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Photo: Walking back after holy hour Wednesday night, sight of the super moon.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, December 5, 2025

The kingdom of God is at hand, are we willing to see?

In today’s Gospel account, Jesus continues to answer the Pharisees’ question about “when the kingdom of God would come” (Lk 17:20) but now he is directing his response to his disciples. Jesus reminds them about how during the time of Noah and during the time of Lot many were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, buying, selling, planting, building (cf. Lk 17:26-29). In effect, other than Noah and Lot, and those few listening to them, no one else had any clue about the impending calamity or wanted to know. They were so absorbed in their own pursuits and desires that they did not heed the warnings of Noah and Lot.

Another focal point was on those who were attached to only material and finite things. When the final hour came, people on the rooftop or in the field were directed not to go back and get their possessions. Jesus pointed out succinctly, “Remember the wife of Lot” (Lk 17:32). Lot left Sodom with his wife, she did so physically, though she could not resist looking back, she was too tied to what she was leaving behind, and so she lost herself to her attachments.

Spending time speculating when the end will come is a pointless pursuit. What is more important is being aware of the kingdom of God in our midst, developing a relationship with God now. Matthew shared in his gospel account that Jesus stated only the Father knows the time or the hour as to when the end will come (cf. Mt 24:36). If we are only going to prepare at the final hour, we may be too late because we will be too attached to the things of this world to let go.

Asking, “When will the kingdom of God come?” also misses the point of what Jesus is teaching us. There is an intrinsic value in developing a relationship with God and one another, now. Growing and maturing as a disciple, now. Jesus shared in the first words of his public ministry, that “the kingdom of God is at hand” (cf. Mk 1:15). All we need to do is reach right out and grasp his extended hand of invitation and walk with him, now.

For many of the Pharisees, this meant letting go of their own power and prestige and participating instead in the living reality of God in their midst. So many of us are caught up in our day to day affairs of existing that we are barely living. We can also be distracted by false lures and attractions of security and gratification, wealth, power, pleasure, and honor, that we miss the love and wonder that Jesus wants to share with us. Jesus is inviting us to wake up, to breathe deep, to slow down, to trust him and receive his unconditional love, so that we can become aware that he walks among us. Jesus calls us, as Lot called his wife, to keep our focus on God and the things of heaven, while living in our time and place.

Lord Jesus, help us to recognize when we have taken our eyes of of you, help us to identify: the distractions and diversions, when we are choosing to put our self first, where we are in need of healing from anxiety, fear, and chronic stress, and where we are attached and bound up by apparent goods, empty, and false pursuits. Guide us, such that we, in the words of Pope Francis, “understand what faith means when we open ourselves to the immense love of God that changes us inwardly and enables us to see our lives with new eyes” (Costello 2013, 12). Eyes that see the kingdom of God in our midst and the promise of our eternal home.

Photo: “For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.” – Wisdom 13:5

Costello, Gwen. Walking With Pope Francis: Thirty Days with the Encyclical The Light of Faith. New London, CT: Twenty Third Publications, 2013.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, November 14, 2025

Let us choose to walk out of the darkness and into the light of Jesus.

Wars continue to rage on, violence continues to be a steady diet, division, demonization, and polarization doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. What gets lost in the headlines of all this is the real people, human beings, family members, friends, classmates and colleagues. No wonder feelings of anxiety and stress are escalating exponentially. How are we to respond? In the Gospel today Jesus sheds some light on the darkness that beleaguers not only our country but our world.

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. (Mk 10:47-48).

Though Bartimaeus is blind, he seems to “see” better than those around him and know who Jesus is. He does not just call out the name of Jesus, but “Jesus, son of David.” This is not merely a genetic marker, but a Messianic title. Bartimaeus may have physical blindness, but he is one of the few in the Gospel of Mark to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. The disciples and the crowd walking with him, the many who “rebuked him”, showed their spiritual blindness, in that they prevented the blind man from coming to Jesus.

Where might we see ourselves in this scriptural account, who are we? Are we like those in the crowd who follow and identify with Jesus, yet rebuke others seeking to come to Jesus? Do we foster a posture of a fear of the other, embrace tribalism, nationalism, and contribute to and foster division, polarization, and prejudice? If we do, we then are suffering from the very spiritual blindness that Jesus has come to heal.

We can better help to bring about change by making an assessment of ourselves. Each thought we ponder and action we take ripples out from us and touches everyone. In what way do we contribute to the violence? Do we gossip, spread false reports knowingly about others only to degrade and belittle? Do we pass dehumanizing images and memes on social media? Do we talk over or at people, do we impose our views not even willing to listen to another? The smallest act of indignity shown to another, whether it be a snide remark, a racial, ethnic, or sexist epithet, or any manner of disrespect contributes to the darkness that seeks to blind us.

There is another way. There is another path we can walk upon. The one that Bartimaeus, once he could see, walked upon. To walk it, we need to be willing to allow Jesus to light the way, to convict us in the depths of our souls. In so doing, we are better able to counter the impulse to build walls that promote division, hate, and violence, and instead build bridges of forgiveness, unity, and love. We can then reflect his light in our present darkness.

Jesus did not rebuke Bartimaeus for causing a ruckus and calling out to him. Jesus called Bartimaeus to him. Jesus came close to others cast aside as well. He saw and sees each person as human beings, brothers and sisters created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus called the Apostles and Bartimaeus to him. We too are called to Jesus, called to be present to those within our realm of influence to be more understanding, and to meet each other with compassion and empathy. Darkness only spreads when we contribute to it and become the darkness. It dissipates when we remain in the light of Jesus. Hate only wins if we feed hate. Love wins when we are willing to forgive and love each other.

Let us have the humility to recognize our interconnectedness, that we cannot get through this life on our own. We, like Bartimaeus, need to be healed and made new. We need the Son of David in our lives, we need a savior, a healer, and we need each other. When we acknowledge this reality, we may better be able to resist the temptation to be indifferent to or dehumanize others. Instead let’s be more willing to notice, recognize, pray for and act to provide aide for each other. Jesus calls us to arise from our defensive posture and to open our arms wide to love, to will the good of each other as other.

Jesus asked Bartimaus, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Let that be our request of Jesus as well. May we ask Jesus to help us to see with the eyes of love, the eyes illumined by his light, and the wisdom of his Father. May we be willing to see each other as God sees us, as his beloved daughters and sons.

Spiritual Stepping Stones