Mmemorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
(Revelation 1:1-4.2:1-5; Luke 18:35-43)
It is one thing to see, but quite another to see with
insight. A sophomore can look at human
tissue through a microscope, but a biologist names the different kinds of cells
she sees. A fifth-grader can read a
racing form, but a handicapper will find the probable winners. What is more important than seeing is having
insight.
In the gospel today Jesus enables a blind man to see, and
the man sees more in Jesus than a healer.
With insight he recognizes him as the “Son of David,” the Messiah who
was to bring about everlasting justice.
He does not go away reveling with his newly-gained physical sight. Rather he follows Jesus to death and glory in
Jerusalem.
Faith is having
insight beyond what one’s eyes see. We
see bread and wine on the altar, but insight tells us that it is the body and
blood of Christ. We see a beggar holding
a sign asking for money on a street corner, but insight informs us that it is
an image of God. We see ourselves
struggling to believe after hearing about scandal in the Church. Insight tells us that the humanity of the
Church will always be attracted by evil, but still its virtue far outdoes its
faults.
