Do You Believe That I Can Do This?

Do You Believe That I Can Do This?

Memorial of St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church

December 7, 2012

By Melanie Rigney

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. 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. Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction. (Isaiah 29:22-24)  

The Lord is my light and my salvation. (Psalm 27:1) 

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" 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. Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. (Matthew 9:27-29)

Piety

Lord, help me to believe You truly can do anything, that You can provide succor in my most challenging times, and healing for my deepest wounds.

Study

Have you ever felt like God wasn’t listening to you, wasn’t aware of just how desperate your situation was? Of course you have. You’re human. Even people seemingly in total harmony with God, those who we admire and esteem greatly, such as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, have days like that. Or weeks. Or months. Or years.

Consider the persistence of those folks… or of the blind men in today’s Gospel reading. We have no idea how long they had been blind, or how many times they had prayed for sight. But despite the likelihood they’d been disappointed many times in the past, their faith remained. When Jesus asked them if they believed, they didn’t stumble around and mutter about what had happened in the past. They didn’t say, “Well, sort of,” “I guess so,” or “Sure, why not, nothing else has worked.” They said simply said, “Yes, Lord.”

We never know the day or the time when our suffering may be alleviated or our prayers may be answered (or how, for that matter). But we like the blind men can continue to believe, regardless of how many roadblocks or temptations try to move us from that faith. We can keep our eyes open.

Action

What in your life do you secretly believe is even beyond God’s power to repair? Talk with Him about it.