Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 15, 2023
When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
“Do you see anything?”
Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”
Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”
A little “spittle to the eye”—not exactly what we expect from Jesus, is it? Of course, this familiar yet strange mode of healing is rich with imagery and meaning. St. Irenaeus, for example, saw in Jesus’ use of saliva and mud an image of the sacraments. Parallel to the forming of Adam from the clay, Jesus fashions a healing remedy for humanity through his use of creation.
What resonates personally, though, is how the recipient of this healing mercy exclaims that he can now see, and yet his perception is so skewed as to be ridiculous. Was Jesus’ healing insufficient? Certainly not. But although the man could see, he did not yet see clearly nor rightly comprehend all that crashed through his darkness. In other words, he needed illumination to both his eyes and his mind.
I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and joy every time I’m cleansed through the power of Jesus’ loving mercy, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But do I instantly see everything clearly? Frequently not. Sometimes I misunderstand what God is doing. Other times, my willfulness and my faults can distort my apprehension. Yet, Christ does not leave me alone in that confused state.
Eucharistic Adoration afforded, during my college years, unique moments of clarity. It is not that the heavens opened. More often, what I experienced was akin to the second “touch” of Christ in this gospel: the grace of bringing my confused apprehensions to Jesus’ presence. It is no exaggeration to say that these opportunities for cleansing and clarifying encounters changed my life.
I hope that our gratitude when the Lord lays his hands on us, a second, third, and thousandth time, may no less be that of a person born entirely blind but graced to see.
Prayer
Christ Jesus, you touched the eyes of the blind man twice before he was fully cured. Grant us confidence in your persistence in the face of enduring troubles or sin in our lives. Help us to know that you never leave us, that you will continue to heal us, that your love is greater than our weakness. Grant us faith that we will one day see your love for us clearly and distinctly. Amen.
Saint of the Day
The example of St. Claude's life and his spiritual insight served royalty and saints—and got him into political trouble that cost him his life.
He was born to a family of French nobles in 1641, and, as he grew, felt a call to religious life. He was educated at a Jesuit school in Lyons and joined the order in 1659.
He became well-educated and took on a nun in spiritual direction—her name was Margaret Mary Alocoque. She eventually became known as a saint because of the vision of Christ she received in 1675 that established devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (One manifestation of that devotion is the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue that stands in front of the Dome on campus, shown below).
Claude took a vow to uphold the strictest rule of life in pursuit of holiness and perfection. In addition to guiding Margaret Mary, he was also assigned chaplain to Mary of Modena, Duchess of York, who would later become queen. He traveled to Protestant Britain to serve her, and converted many to Catholicism by the example of his holy life.
He was suspected of hatching “papist plots” against the king and was imprisoned. It was only the intercession of French King Louis XIV that saved his life. He was exiled and returned to France, but his health was ruined and he died not long after arriving. Though he suffered every torment except death for his faith, he is still considered a martyr.
As a prominent French saint, Claude’s relics were collected by the early members of Holy Cross and now rest in the reliquary chapel. His image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Claude de la Colombiere, you sought the perfect life of holiness and you preached to kings and queens, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Claude de la Colombiere is in the public domain. Last accessed December 5, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
