Friday, The Memorial of St. Ambrose
(Isaiah 29:17-24, Matthew 9:27-31)
In explaining why they think random evolution is an adequate theory for explaining the complexity of life, intelligent design advocates often point to an eye. They say that such an intricate organ is not likely to come about by chance no matter if it had a zillion years to develop. The eye’s sight is not only wonderful, it is also useful. For this reason the blind men of the gospel passage are obviously asking Jesus to allow them to see when they cry for pity.
The two men lack physical sight, but they possess faith which is another way of seeing. The men may have heard that Jesus is in the line of David, which is only a fact of heredity. More significantly, they believe that he is the son of David whom God has chosen to restore His people to the glory that Isaiah predicts in the first reading. He is the one who will open the ears of the deaf, restore sight to the blind, and bring release to prisoners. Jesus rewards the men’s faith in him with a super twenty-twenty vision. They see as well with their eyes as with their souls.
This Advent those of us who see well enough with our eyes might, like the blind men, beg Jesus for increased sight of faith. We want to look to him as the one who will save us from all that threatens us. Also, we need faith so that we might never be blind to the inviolable dignity of every human being. We do not want anger or prejudice that rises in us at times against individuals and groups to ruin our respect for them.
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