“Looking Ahead” is a reflection on the Sunday readings, edited by Father Perry, for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor
Giving sight to the blind, opening the mouth and the ears of the mute and deaf, raising up paralytics and the dead, casting out bad spirits and freeing people in bondage, and bringing understanding and enlightening of the faith of those whose spirits were dull — this was Jesus.
It isn’t so amazing to most that our faith in Jesus Christ is still around 2,000 years after he walked on this earth. What is amazing is that anyone who witnessed him could have “eyes that did not see, and ears that did not hear.”
How could someone see with their own eyes the wonders Jesus did without claiming faith in him? How could someone witness so many people healed, renewed, uplifted and still not come to know Jesus as one “sent from God”?
Something bigger than life came into the lives of many Jews when Jesus appeared on the scene. Some believed; many, if not most, did not. Is it any different now? In this day and age, do we recognize the Lord? Do we believe his words with all of our hearts and minds? Do we commit holding nothing back? Do we discover that his teachings are life and give life? Can we say that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life?
To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, we can echo the words of the Gospel today —
“He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and [the] mute speak.”
Hopefully, we will never become tired nor incapable of being exceedingly astonished at the wonder that was Jesus, the Christ!
