Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith" (Mt 9:29)
This verse from the Gospel of Matthew is included in the readings for today. This leads me to reflect on my own faith and if I believe that Jesus can heal me of my blindness. What types of blindness do I have? When does these moments of blindness occur? In meditating on this verse while looking at this picture I envision Jesus placing his hands on my head and covering my eyes. I feel a sense of calmness and healing of sin. It's similar to going to confession. That wiping clean and feeling of starting again. During December many people return to confession to prepare for CHRISTMAS. At my church we gather as community every year on the Sunday evening prior to CHRISTMAS Day. I am already thinking about participating in this communal Penance Service and then going to an individual confession with a priest. We will have 15 priests available that night hearing confessions and forgiving us our sins.
I still have three weeks or so before our Parish Penance Service but I find myself already examining my conscience to decide what I will talk about. It will be a lot of the same personal sins that I have confessed before but this time I find myself thinking of social sins that I am blind to. How have I responded to the suffering of others? What can I do to help the oppressed? How do my actions affect the environment and possibly add to the pollution and lack of care for our planet? These new thoughts and examination of conscience has something to do with taking a Moral Theology class this past summer, but also from the direction and attention given to these things from Pope Francis.
Lord Jesus, as we await your coming at CHRISTMAS help us to have the faith to believe that our sins will be forgiven and that we will be healed of our own blindness. Amen.
Links to organizations that help the marginalized and oppressed in the DC area:
3. Hope House
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