Today is Quinquagesima Sunday, the last of the three consecutive Sundays for our pre-Lenten spiritual preparation. This coming Wednesday, March 5th, will be Ash Wednesday. I presume that everyone is now 80% ready to commence our journey through Lent. There are essential Lenten programs that we can avail like looking into charitable institutions to offer monetary support, going into retreat, reading the scriptures and intensifying our prayer life and sacrifices. We do everything for the Love of God and neighbors.
In today’s epistle, taken from the 1st letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we always hear these words at weddings because this is commonly called the Hymn of Love, not only popular to Christians, but also to non-Christian culture. This epistle was written when Corinth was in the period of crisis in terms of relationships. They need to follow the path of Spirit-driven desire in order to grow in maturity and to learn that as a community, they too may live out the vision of love in their lives. As believers, it is our orientation also to persevere in faith, hope and love. The end result to this is to experience an all-encompassing and all surpassing divine Love. These words of St. Paul are inspiring words, not only applicable for wedding ceremonies, but for us who are open to receive the good news which comes to life today in our hearing.
Our gospel today, taken from the evangelist Luke, is about the healing of the blind man. This story has been written by Matthew, Mark and Luke as part of their lessons revolving around the topic on Christ’s kingship and its fulfillment of the prophetic promise. There are significant points for us to reflect on.
First, the mentioning of the location is significant in the gospel of Luke. Jesus was entering into the place called Jericho. It is a gateway towards the land of the promise which was an occupied land treating the people of God with hostility and force. This is very symbolic to what the people are trying to regain, that is, its loss and its restoration as a people. What is our Jericho in our life? What is our experience of loss and how do we manage to ask the Lord to help us to be restored by His grace and mercy?
Second, the blind man shouts out, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” The use of the title “Son of David,” given and addressed to Jesus, is a clear revelation about the identity of Jesus. The crowd, inner close friends and apostles don’t call Him that title. This title indicates Christ’s “Messianic” role He has to play. It is in a way an occasion slowly unfolding about Jesus. Have we known Jesus’ true identity? Are we calling on Jesus to seek healing?
Third, the blind man is physically blind, but the word blindness in scripture points us towards some spiritual reality and reminds us that there are cases of spiritual blindness we do have, perhaps unconsciously touching ourselves to beg the Lord to allow us to see and to restore our impaired relationship with Jesus. Our new spiritual vision will surely be the cause for great rejoicing, thanksgiving and for praising God unceasingly.
Today, we realize that after experiencing healing from the Lord, we are called to establish a deeper understanding of becoming a true witness and bearing the fruit of being a recipient of God’s mercy and divine love. This is the key theme in Luke’s writing; we receive a calling, a goal and a vision. Like the blind man, we call Jesus. We can hear His voice that we will regain our lost sight, and now our healing becomes the agent of God’s healing for others.
Let us pause and think, what is our deeper blindness for which we need God’s mercy. May we always ask God to open the eyes of our understanding and strong faith. We all say, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”
God bless you.
Fr. Arlon, osa
