Lectionary # 180 Fri of First week in Advent, 2009

Scripture: Lectionary # 180. Fri of first week of Advent. Isaiah 29:17-24.
Psalm 27: 1.4.13-14. Matthew 9:27-31.

Our Advent days are shorter and night comes almost with the Even Song or
Vespers that we pray in common or alone. This somewhat somber and darker
span of time gives us an atmosphere for some spiritual pondering over the
word of God that we may have heard or read in the earlier hours of the day.
We welcome the light of day even when the days are gray and rain or snow
may fall. It is, after all, Advent, and Christmas is within a few weeks.
We all are astounded how fast it comes upon us and that too is a trait of
Advent!

Jesus is the light of this world. It is he who gives the two blind men
their sight and they rejoice in their cure and announce it in the nearby
villages. Matthew has them approach Jesus in a home and this is somewhat a
characteristic of Matthew. He will tell us that Joseph provides a home for
Mary and the child and definitely is their protector under whatever roof
they will find themselves on the way to Egypt. Joseph too is a light for us
during Advent. We need to read about him in Matthew who alone devotes some
verses to him that give us a glimpse of this wholesome young man who is the
protector of the holy family that is about to be formed.

The blindmen call Jesus "Lord" thereby showing they recognize some type of
transcendent power and qaulity within him. Jesus urges them on with his
words, "Are you confident I can do this?" They give the simple answer of
faith like Mary did, "Yes, Lord." And after touching their eyes he said,
"Because of your faith it shall be done to you." They then saw and Jesus
was the very first person they ever saw! Advent had come for them in his
person.

Blindness is mentioned in our first reading from Isaiah and helps us see
the presence of God throughout the whole of salvation history both the Old
Testament and the New Testament. Isaiah prophesies, "And out of the gloom
and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see."

Psalm 27 is centered on the gift of seeing light. The response is a perfect
prayer for the Isaiah passage and the Gospel: "The Lord is my light and my
salvation." How true this is for the two blind men who put their trust in
Jesus.

With our eyes of faith we come to see Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We
contemplate him and ponder over his words and actions in order that we may
see even more clearly who he is. We desire with the psalmist "to dwell in
the house of the Lord; all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the
loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple." (Psalm 27: 4). Amen.