Daily Thought For November 16, 2015

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Open Our Eyes


 Lectio

 Luke 18:35–43

 Meditatio

 “The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more.…”

 The Gospels often call our attention to the way that society treats the marginalized, in contrast to the way Jesus chooses to treat them. His genuine love, concern, and gentleness give us an example to embrace if we wish to call ourselves Christians. We know this, but we lose our way at times and seem to forget it, much like the crowd in today’s Gospel.

 At first, those in the crowd give the blind man the information that he seeks. They tell him that Jesus is the one causing all the uproar. But when the blind man tries to get Jesus’ attention, they try to keep him quiet. In a sense they are turning on him; they want him to become “invisible” again.

 The Gospel tells us that the blind man is sitting by the side of the road. Those in the crowd want to leave him there—they have their own agenda that day and it doesn’t include this blind man stealing Jesus’ attention from them. This reminds us of something else we might see on the side of the road today—rubbish. We leave what we no longer want, what we wish to forget, or what we have no use for on the side of the road, whether it’s our garbage, an old couch, or a beggar.

 Maybe each person in the crowd is hoping that Jesus will hone in on his or her need. Maybe the crowd simply wants to hear what Jesus is saying. Perhaps some of them have heard Jesus preach elsewhere or have heard others speak about him, but they are missing the point of discipleship. To be a disciple is to be concerned not just for one’s own spiritual journey and formation, but to be aware of the others who are either on that journey or are being left on the side of the road.

 Oratio

 Sometimes, Lord, I get too absorbed in my needs and wants, and I fail to see the others on the road with me who are asking for my help and for yours. All these people are not just isolated individuals who happen to be traveling on the same path. You call us to something deeper. You invite us to notice one another, just as you notice us. Thank you for giving me to them, and them to me, so that we may be companions as we learn about love by loving one another. Amen.

Contemplatio

 Lord, thank you for the companions you have given me on this journey.
Daughters of St. Paul. (2011). Ordinary Grace Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections. (M. G. Dateno & M. L. Trouvé, Eds.) (pp. 282–283). Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media.

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