Today's Gospel

Pray Like the Blind Man!

It's a great reading. I have so many memories around this reading. I had a great spiritual director when I was first getting started, before I was first getting started, I was like 15, 16, just a very holy priest, only interested in my spiritual growth, very focused. We used to talk about this reading, and [he?] used to say to me, "Oh, look, you just pick up these lines here," the blind beggar calling out to Jesus, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." It's a beautiful prayer, isn't it? It's a beautiful prayer. Like in the Mass, sort of how we begin the Mass, penitential rite. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." So it's like here we've got the blind beggar. He's like engaging in this penitential rite. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." People tell him like, be quiet. Be quiet and get back and leave Jesus alone. And of course, Jesus, he's like, no, let's see what he has to say for himself. Jesus is always taking these people from the fringes of society and placing them right at the center of the gospel. And I think for me, what's convicting about that is that I don't spend that much time interacting with people on the fringes of society. And I think that's a challenge that God is directing at me.

So Jesus is taking this guy, blind beggar, by the side of the road in Jericho, placing him in the gospels at the center of his life and teachings, right here, forever. This guy just sitting by the side of the road one day. Blind beggar, I'm sure there were lots of them, right? No healthcare system, no anything. And this guy now is like immortal here in the gospel, forever. Sacred Scriptures, the Word of God. And we got the little blind beggar from Jericho. We don't even know his name. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. It's a great prayer. You could pray that all day long.

But my favorite part of this reading, Jesus is like, "All right, come on over. Let's hear what he has to say." Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" Wow. Like if Jesus came to you today, which he does, and if Jesus asked you today, "What do you want me to do for you?" What would you say to him? Because he does. Standing right there, asking you, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man says, "Lord, open my eyes so that I may see." Wow. What a prayer, right? I mean, I know for him, he like needed the physical sight.

But the idea that we talk about, that everything that is said to Jesus is a prayer, wow, what a prayer. I love this prayer. I've prayed this prayer 10 million times. I love this when I'm trying to work something out, when I'm trying to discern something, when I'm trying to make a decision, this is my prayer. Every single time, this is my prayer. Lord, open my eyes so that I may see. I just pray it over and over. I just pray it over and over again like a thousand times. If I'm trying to make a decision, just pray it over and over all day long. Lord, open my eyes so that I may see. Lord, open my eyes so that I may see. I'm driving home. Lord, open my eyes so that I may see. Lord, open my eyes so that I may see so that I can see the problem for what it really is. Sometimes we don't do that, right? Sometimes there's a problem, and we sort of see part of it. We start to solve it, and we realize, "Okay, we solved that, but the problem isn't solved. We misdefined the problem. When we misdefined the problem, it's impossible to solve the problem. Lord, open my eyes so that I may see. What is the real problem here? Lord, open my eyes, so that I may see. Should I do this or should I do that? Wow, I love getting carried away. Love this gospel. It's really very powerful.

Let's go into the day today with one of those prayers. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, repeat it over and over and over again. Lord, open my eyes so that I may see. Pick a particular area in your life. Some problem you're trying to solve, some question you're trying to answer. Focus on that with Jesus today. Lord, open my eyes so that I may see. Have a great day. And remember, do not just be yourself. Be the-very-best-version-of-yourself. All that God created you to be.