Dear Friends,

In the Gospel story of Jesus curing the blind man, we can imagine ourselves seeking the Lord’s assistance in healing our problem, as well. Would we have been so open, however, as to the way He healed the man in this situation? With all due respect, Jesus hocks up and spits on the ground (yuck); then, he makes mud with his spit and fingers and smears it on the guy’s eyes (eeewww, super yuck); and then tells him to go and wash himself up at the Pool of Siloam (I’m outta here!). But hold on, did I go to the Lord to be healed of my blindness or did I want Him to “do” it in a respectful (at least according to me) and sanitary manner and, of course, meeting my expectations of a personal and uplifting situation?

In whatever it is that we seek from the Lord, do we approach the Divine Majesty in humility, awe and respect? Do we examine ourselves and prepare ourselves for the gift that the Lord presents to us, even when it may not seem to be that for which we asked or arriving in the manner that we expected? Do we trust that He loves us and will grant us only those things that will benefit our immortal souls, our holiness and wellbeing? Too often, in our prayers asking God to provide a clear vision of how we are to advance in life and love; we are not genuinely seeking God’s perspective on these things; rather we simply want Him to give us what we want. And when we receive the gift, even when it is what we expected, are we ready to change our life radically … that is, to genuinely see, to stop begging (expecting others to provide for us), to engage and contribute to society responsibly and well, and to see those who are blind and wish to see and become a healing force in their lives. Let us, therefore, “Seek His face!” Allow me to share with you a reflection by the late Archbishop of Westminster (UK), Cardinal Basil Hume (+1999). He writes:

In all our emptiness and failure, we can and must turn always to the fulfillment of God’s covenant with humanity. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. It is in Christ that the human and divine meet. God emptied Himself and became as we are in all except our sinfulness. Through the Incarnation, God’s taking of our human nature and His involvement in our human history has redeemed all that is human and given it a glory that no subsequent sin and rebellion can ever ultimately deface or destroy. Our human world, our humanity, is refashioned in Christ and is assured of an everlasting destiny. To come to Him in faith, to die with Him in order to live to God, opens up for us a new creation, new heavens and a new earth, in which we see God in Christ and discern the face of God. … “Have I been with you so long,” said Jesus, “and you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father … (Jn 14: 9) To imagine that we still cannot “put a face” to God, that we are still in the dark about the reality of divine love and compassion, is to ignore perhaps the blindingly obvious, and fail to linger long enough on the features and the personality of Jesus Christ. …

The words of our Lord and His every action are recorded in time but are “outside” time, as relevant and grace-filled for us today as for every generation. Our meditation will lead us gently but insistently from the concrete circumstances and life of Christ in history, to His abiding presence among us not only in the Sacraments, but in the Body of Christ which is the Church. We learn there to love the cosmic Christ, the Eternal Word. The consequences of the Incarnation are vital for us. Throughout the liturgical year we have opportunities to deepen our understanding of what our Lord did to save us from our sinfulness and restore us to intimacy with the Father. The very fact of the Incarnation means that all that is human has been touched by the divine, except of course for sin. Thirty years of Jesus’ life were spent leading the ordinary life of a person of His day in Nazareth. Those days were precious in the eyes of His Father and so were all the activities of Jesus; each one of value, human acts done by One who was God. Thus, all our actions, especially in virtue of our Baptism, have a special value in the eyes of God.

Whom have we become? Have we allowed ourselves to become blind to the evil that slinks seductively into our lives, convincing us that comfort, entertainment and selfcentered pleasures of this world are the goal of life? Whom do we strive to become? Maybe, it’s in acknowledging the “yuck” and “super yuck” of our lives that we discover our genuine need for God? Maybe, our attacks on God about His not hearing our prayers or not giving us what we want are sure signs of our own blindness that needs to be healed? Lent is half done; what have we done to seek the face of God?

Be of good cheer and have a blessed week!

Msgr. Grous

LÆTARE SUNDAY - REJOICE An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely. “The front row, please,” she answered. “You really don’t want to do that,” the usher said. “The pastor is really boring.” “Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired. “No,” he said. “I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly. “Do you know who I am?” he asked. “No,” she said. “Perfect,” he answered and ran away.