Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus, Light Of Our Eyes
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. From today until the end of the Church year we read from the book of Revelation, an apocalyptic writing. The author wants to express trust in God and the future, for ultimately God will win the struggle between good and evil, involving not only the earth but also having heaven intervening. He does not know how, and to a large extent he is guessing, using traditional apocalyptic images, many inspired by religious experiences of God’s people in the past and trying to apply them to the present but even to the future. But underlying all this, even when describing calamities, is the firm faith and hope that God will win and that therefore there is no reason to be afraid.
Gospel. After Jesus had scolded the apostles for their lack of understanding and faith, Luke shows him curing the blind man. Is it perhaps to teach the apostles a lesson and showing them that they need to be healed from their blindness by faith? In any case, Jesus becomes light and gives light to the blind man. We ask our Lord to give us eyes of faith.
Opening Prayer
God, almighty Father,
each of us too could say:
Let me see again, for I am blind to the love
that you show me in the people around me.
Let me see again,
for I am blind to your goodness and beauty
that you reveal to me in your creation
and in the events of life.
May we too hear from the lips of your Son:
your faith has saved you.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
First Reading
Introduction
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave it to him to let his servants know what is soon to take place. He sent his angel to make it known to his servant John,
who reports everything he saw, for this is the word of God and the declaration of Jesus Christ.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud these prophetic words, and blessed are those who hear them, and treasure everything written here, for the time is near.
Message to the Seven Churches: Greeting
From John to the seven churches of Asia: receive grace and peace from him who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits of God, which are before his throne,
Messages to the Seven Churches
To the Church in Ephesus
Write this to the angel of the church in Ephesus, “Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, and who walks among the seven golden lamp stands:
I know your works, your difficulties, and your patient suffering. I know you cannot tolerate evildoers, but have tested those who call themselves apostles, and have proved them to be liars.
You have persevered and have suffered for my name without losing heart.
Nevertheless, I have this complaint against you: you have lost your first love.
Remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do what you used to do before. If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place; this I will do unless you repent.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (Rev. 2:17) Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
When Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.
When he heard the crowd passing by, he asked what was happening
and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
Then he cried out:
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
The people in front of him scolded him, saying:
“Be quiet!” but he shouted even louder:
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him:
“What do you want me to do for you?”
The man said:
“Lord, that I may see!”
Jesus replied:
“Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately, the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. All those who were there also praised God.
Prayers of the Faithful
– Lord, see the eyes of children that are open to life; see the eyes full of hope of those who believe in your future; fill them with your light, we pray:
– Lord, see the eyes full of hatred or spite of those who are frustrated; see the joy in the eyes of those who know how to love, we pray:
– Lord, see the eyes of those who suffer; see the eyes of those who are shut to others, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, almighty Father,
through this bread and wine
we ask you to give us
the light of our lives, your Son Jesus Christ.
Through him, the Son of David,
have pity on us,
that we may praise you
for the saving goodness which you show us
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, in this eucharist
you have let us experience your goodness
through Jesus’ saving presence.
Do not allow us to hide his light
or to darken the lives of our neighbor.
Make us clear-eyed and let us be lights
for those without insight or hope,
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
When we are at times blind to what God asks of us, we too cry out: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. Let me see again.” And may he answer us, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.” May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Lord, let me see again!
Luke 18:35-43
Jericho is the setting for the healing story of the blind. We should keep in mind that Jesus is in the final days of his journey towards Jerusalem, where he will sacrifice his life. The pilgrim route from Galilee to Jerusalem passes through Jericho. Most pilgrims chose this route to bypass Samaria.
In this passage, Luke invites all those who desire to follow Jesus to be healed of their spiritual blindness. The blind man of Jericho represents all those who wish to start their journey with the Lord. At the beginning of his journey, he is blind - ignorant, and he gradually comes to know the Lord, and finally, he is able to grasp the message of Jesus fully.
The blind man addresses Jesus with the title Son of David. It was believed that the Son of David would chase away the Romans and other external powers. A disciple's initial understanding is minimal when he embarks on his journey. He is ignorant of the true identity of the Messiah because his initial information is all hearsay. The blind man in the Gospel learned about Jesus from the crowd.
Luke wrote his Gospel fifty years after Jesus' death and resurrection. As a result of all those years spent in faith, Luke was able to understand with clarity what kind of king Jesus was. According to him, everyone who wishes to follow Jesus has the opportunity to approach Jesus, just as the blind had the opportunity to approach him.
Nevertheless, one must be clear about what one seeks from the Lord. The blind man wants to see again. He is guided from the darkness to the light of the knowledge of Christ. Once he gains that sight of Christ, he joyously follows him to Jerusalem.
Our Lord's passing by is an encounter of mercy that provides us with assistance and comfort when needed. We are invited to draw near to him, follow Jesus and be better Christians.
Jesus, the Son of God, is before the blind man as a humble servant. Imagine God telling a beggar: “Sir, what can I do for you?" How do you want me to serve you?" God makes himself a servant of the sinful man.
“All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God” (v. 43). A second miracle occurred: what happened to the blind man also enabled the other people to see. The same light illuminates them all, uniting them in a prayer of praise.