From the Hermitage
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Dear Friends,
Here on the east coast we are supposed to be soak by the heavens today and tomorrow. Hopefully, then, you will have the time to read the story of the man who was born blind. It is the man who had the great fortune of meeting the preacher, teacher, healer, Jesus. With just a little mud from the hand of Jesus and the willingness of the blind man to follow his directions, he became the man who could see, the man cured of his blindness by the Son of God. What a honor? No, what a manifestation of trust in what and whom he could not see!
If you look at the left photo, you may not have any idea what is before you and what might be beneath it. Only when you take the time to get down on all fours and put a camera in the grass can you get some idea of what is before you. Only when you seek to know the object will you get an idea of what a mushroom is all about as you see in the left photo. Maybe you have been blind to some things in your life and have not taken the time to discover what is not known or seen.
At the conclusion of the story of the blind man, Jesus learned that the blind man had been thrown out of the temple. He found the man and he asked him "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The cured man answered "Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus continued, "You have seen him and the one speaking to you is he." Wow! Imagine that moment. Really, stop and give yourself time to consider what Jesus is teaching the man as well as any man or woman alive today.
The questions are simple: Are we blind to what God is calling each of us to be and to do? Do we take the time to look at our lives to see beneath some of our actions or modes of living to come to know if we have been blind to God's call, to living the life of the Commandments, to taking time to care for those who pushed aside by humanity, cultures or customs?
If a person does not take the time to learn what lies beneath the surface of the mushroom on the right, will that person ever come to experience a moment of faith: look to the right and see the marvel or what God can do.
The story of the blind man, at least for me, is a very real moment of experiencing the reality of knowing who Jesus was and is today. Do I see Jesus in the young teen who has been rejected by his/her peers because of a physical issue or the young person who has a difficult time with learning because a school system does not fully comprehend how to deal with the many different ways that people are able to learn? Do I see Jesus in the men and women who have come to the USA because it is the land of freedom and a place where men and women can practice their religions that may be somewhat different than the mainstream religions we encounter in our communities? Would Jesus Christ, today, be giving his fullest support to those who strive so heartlessly to drive people out of our country? Would Jesus find Pope Francis' concerns for the marginalized in our societies destructive as some have said? Look at a crucifix and answer that question!
What a gift vision is! I am thankful that something moved me to get on my knees with my camera to see what I so often shredded with a lawn mower!
Oremus pro Invicem,
Fr. Milt
30 III 14
30 III 14
