HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 05 – Year I
Waiting for the Lord, Our Light and Salvation
(Is 29:17-24; Ps 27; Mt 9:27-31)
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The Responsorial psalm for today’s liturgy provides us with a clear message: Wait for the Lord, our light and salvation.
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah predicts a wonderful future for Israel and even Lebanon, which will be fruitful: miraculous healings will happen; justice will be served; the blind will see; the deaf hear; dignity will replace shame. Those who believe in these words will actually see the Holy One of Israel, as well as stand in awe of God.
In the gospel, we see that prophecy of Isaiah being fulfilled in the person of Jesus. He responds to the cries of the blind men who are following Jesus, who cry out for mercy in their blindness, who put their hope and faith in Jesus as the Son of David. Perhaps they knew this prophecy of Isaiah, and saw Jesus as the fulfillment of that Old Testament prophecy. Jesus tests their faith in him, then touching their eyes, healed them, thus fulfilling that prophecy. They saw the holy one of Israel, and stood in awe of God’s power to heal through Jesus.
Although admonished by Jesus not to tell anyone about their cure (until he had risen from the dead), the formerly blind men could not contain themselves and began to spread the good news of what had happened to them at the hands of Jesus.
As the Messiah, Jesus had a two-fold role – to redeem and to sanctify; to forgive and to heal. Interestingly, Jesus is most interested in the depth of faith of the two blind men, who call him Son of David, and assure Jesus of their faith in his power to heal.
We can take our cue from the blind men, and become more aware of where we still need forgiveness and healing in our life. Often, we are the last ones to come see and admit our shortcoming and imperfections. Then, like the blind men, we need to place our faith and trust in Jesus, to believe in him.
Over the years, my faith in who Jesus is has grown. Now, in my prayer each morning, I address him as this: Lord Jesus Christ, totally receptive to the Father’s love; humble, obedient, pure and faithful in response to that love; Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David; Savior, Redeemer, Word made flesh; sinless one, free from addiction, the Way, the Truth, the Life; the resurrection, suffering servant, crucified Messiah, sacrificial victim, risen Lord, victorious king.
The Eucharist itself a vigil, a waiting for Jesus to come again. May our waiting be an active waiting, open to the ways he wants to come into our lives today with forgiveness and healing, as our light and salvation.
