Lord, Please Let Me See

November 19, 2007

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

by Beth DeCristofaro

In those days there appeared in Israel men who were breakers of the law, and they seduced many people, saying: “Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us; since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us. The proposal was agreeable.” (Maccabees 1: 11, 12)

Though the snares of the wicked surround me, your teaching I do not forget…Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands. (Psalm 119: 61,88)

Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” (Luke 18: 40,41)

Piety

"Dear Jesus, I spend too much time in a tree, above the conflicts, keeping myself pretty safe. Give me the courage of your presence with me today, so that I might take more risks in loving. There are going to be some hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and imprisoned people crossing my path today. Guide me in loving better. The cry of the poor in our world seems so overwhelming. Help me listen better and imagine what I might do to make a difference, with your help." (Creighton University Weekly Prayer Guide) http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Prayer/C1-OT-33.html

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/111907.shtml

Blindness of the spirit is a tricky obstacle to accepting and acknowledging God’s love. In Maccabees, Israel lets herself be blinded by the lure of getting ahead, with fitting into a culture which spurns God’s given law. The Israelites, who were given a way of salvation through law choose an easier path – their blindness is to the truth and to the long picture rather than the reward here and now. Those who continued to follow God faced death. But many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean; they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. (Mc 1: 62, 63)

Luke’s Gospel speaks to salvation through the line of David, through faith which completes and transforms the law. And the blind man “sees” hope, sees the promise of physical salvation. Jesus is moved by his faith; the man’s full lack of understanding does not matter. The blind man “saw” and acted. And God was there.

Action

God asks so much more of us than the Israelites were asked. We are asked to “see” what is not physically there. We do not have Laws written on stone. We are asked to see the love and action of Jesus Christ among those in need – the blind man, the lepers, the rich young man, the doubting apostles, the Centurion. How do we look at others? Start by looking closely at yourself. Do you go along to get along or do you see through the cultural “norms” and seek to love better. Do you blindly and completely know that Jesus is passing and that he loves you and that he loves the “other?”

Read the Nov. 17 reflection again. Ask God, “Please, let me See.” http://yourdailytripod.blogspot.com/2007/11/cursillo-spirituality.html