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With so much vying for our attention in the information age, what do we choose to look at? Who do we choose to place our attention on? And why?
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus chooses to see the innocence of the blind man on the side of the road. He easily could have walked by the vulnerable man, surrounded by his entourage of disciples doting on his every word, but he didn’t come to earth to pass by our suffering with indifference.
Instead, he affirmed the inherent worth and blamelessness of the disabled man and publicly healed him, “so that the works of God might be made visible through him,” making it clear that it was the Pharisees, who were truly blind to Christ’s presence in their midst.
The Pharisees didn’t value Jesus or the blind man - they valued the rules, the framework, the lens they’d been trained to see people through. By following the religious customs of their time and condemning everyone who didn’t, they were doing everything right in their own eyes.
The question is: what rules blind us to seeing the value of innocent, suffering human beings around us? What mindsets do we prioritize over seeing the inherent worth in marginalized people, who are in need of some attention, love, and healing? Who do we judge and decide is unworthy of our time? Who do we feel superior to?
Over Spring Break, 27 Ambrosians are embarking on service trips. We will be journeying to Global Brigades in Honduras, Jerusalem Farm in Kansas City and Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. We will be given opportunities to clearly see the inherent goodness of vulnerable people and the injustice, which causes them to suffer through no fault of their own.
But truly, we don’t need to travel far to be the hands and feet of Christ to those in need. Saint Teresa of Calcutta advised us to “Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely, right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you can find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone.”
Lord, bless us with eyes to see the inherent goodness of people, who are suffering in our midst, hearts that want to serve, and the grace to share our gifts in a way that is meaningful to others. Saint Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us to clearly see our mission, like you did.
