As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” – Matthew 9:27
WHY WAIT?
My friend Patricia
used to be a youth leader, one of the best and inspiring in fact. But
when she started working, things slowly changed. She stopped receiving
nourishment from her spiritual family and her life revolved around her
high-paying, high-stress job and her boyfriend. Her world crumbled when
her boyfriend ended the relationship and she eventually found out that
another girl was part of the reason. It was only after that when she
started attending the prayer meeting regularly.
Some people wait for their lives to crumble or for their problems to become so complicated before they start looking for Jesus.
Some people wait to get sick literally or figuratively before they look for Jesus to help them.
Some people will wait until they’re at the end of their rope before they think of turning to Jesus.
Of course, the Lord will never say no to us, but why do you have to
allow yourself to experience such anguish and suffering?
Didn’t the doctors say that prevention is always better than the cure? JPaul Hernandez
1ST READING
Today
is the feast of St. Nicholas — a day when some of the northern European
countries practice the gift-giving aspect of Christmas. Giving gifts to
those we love has become traditional at Christmas. This year, let us
think of those who cannot afford this luxury and be generous in
supporting their celebration of the birth of Christ. For the sake of the
children who have so little, let us seek to be a little more generous
this time around.
Isaiah 29:17-24
17 Thus
says the Lord God: But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be
changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! 18 On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. 19 The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone; all who are alert to do evil will be cut off, 21 those whose mere word condemns a man, who ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the just man with an empty claim. 22 Therefore
thus says the Lord, the God of the house of Jacob, who redeemed
Abraham: Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of, nor shall his
face grow pale. 23 When
his children see the work of my hands in his midst, they shall keep my
name holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob, and be in awe of
the God of Israel. 24 Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
P S A L M
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 4 One
thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord
and contemplate his temple. (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. (R)
GOSPEL
The
gift of sight is an amazing reality that most of us take for granted.
If we all walk around for a day with a blindfold on, how much more
grateful would we be for this amazing gift? Do we need to do something
so radical in order to make us appreciate the gift of sight? How many
more gifts in life do we have that we do not fully appreciate?
Matthew 9:27-31
27 As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.REFLECTION
NEVER GIVE UP
When we know something is important to us, we persevere until we get it. No one respects someone who gives up every time things get difficult. People respect those who persevere and see a project through to the end even though it may be difficult. The men in the Gospel wanted Jesus to heal them.
They believed Jesus could do this for them, and we know without doubt
that they were going to keep following Jesus wherever He went until they
were healed of their blindness.
It is particularly apt that they are blind and, thus, it would not have
been easy for them to follow Jesus. It is virtually a sure thing that
they would have had someone to guide them. This fact reminds us that
there may be times when we need other people to support us in going
after our goals in life, and that we, too, may be called to support
others in their goals.
The other aspect of perseverance is that it is inspiring. When I listen to testimonies or stories of perseverance, I get fired up to be more committed in
my own ministries and life goals. Let us then remember that our lives
can serve as an inspiration for others if we show dedication and
commitment to the causes that matter to us. We may never know if we have
been such an inspiration to others, but I am sure that as long as we
are faithful to God’s calling, that will be the case, whether we know it
or not.
Jesus never sought to draw attention to Himself for the sake of
personal fame or glory. Many were drawn to Him because of the integrity
of his message and the way He practiced what He preached. We, too, can
do this if we set obedience to God’s will as our goal at all costs. The
“at all costs” bit is important because, more often than not, if
something is worthwhile there will be significant costs involved. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
"Holy Spirit, grant me the grace to
open my heart to all the gifts that God desires me to have in order to
reach my goals, and to be obedient to His call on my life."
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