Daily Thought For January 19, 2021
Seeing Through The Eyes of Faith
Lectio
Mark 2:23–28
Meditatio
“Look.”
Isn’t it amazing how several people can look at the same event but see something entirely different? The Gospel recounts a day in the life of Jesus. “Jesus was passing through a field of grain” and “his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.” Mark’s Gospel places this scene after a series of encounters Jesus has had with sinners and tax collectors. It seems that some of the Pharisees have grown exasperated with Jesus’ “undisciplined behavior” and they let him know it.
So the Pharisees speak up again and confront Jesus, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
Is that all they can see—that the law of the Sabbath is being broken? Is there more to the situation than immediately meets the eye?
Can they see that the disciples are accompanied by the Messiah, the Son of God? Can they see the compassion and providence of God who is Father and chooses to provide for his children’s needs through the nature he created? Can they be awed by a God who actually cares for and gets involved in the lives of his creatures? These are all “revolutionary” visions, hard to believe, yet those who have eyes to see can see it.
As we go through our day, what do we point out to ourselves, to God, to others? What are we seeing when we say, “Look!”? Is our vision dominated by a narrow, self-righteous perspective at times? Do we think we’ve got a handle on a situation that we just walked in on? Do we ever even stop to ask ourselves: “What is happening here beyond what I catch at first sight?” Am I willing to let God show me something different from what immediately meets my eye?
Oratio
Lord, my vision can be so narrow. I tend to see what I want to see, without leaving you space to show me what really is. Could it be that if I let you show me something different, something deeper, something new, that I would have to change? It’s easy to get used to seeing life as I have always seen it, to use experiences and events around me to confirm my ideas and prejudices. Forgive me, Lord, for making myself the measure of truth, of reality. Today, let me let you say to me, “Look!” And may I see what you see.
Contemplatio
“Master, I want to see” (Mk 10:51).
Daughters of St. Paul. (2011). Ordinary Grace Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections. (M. G. Dateno & M. L. Trouvé, Eds.) (pp. 26–27). Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media.