1 Sam 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 / Ephesians 5:8-14 / John 9:1-41 (Year A readings)
When it comes to the sensitive and fragile parts of our body, we will certainly take extra care of them.
So, to protect the soles of our feet, we have footwear.
And if our skin is sensitive to strong sunlight, we can wear protective clothing and apply skin lotion.
But there is a rather sensitive and fragile part of our body that is often left unprotected and exposed.
It is none other than our eyes.
For those who don't need to wear spectacles, then the eyes are quite exposed and vulnerable.
On the other hand, there are those who wear dark glasses for one reason or another.
There is something about our eyes that is necessary in our function as a human being, and in our relationship as a person.
Our sight is one of our senses, and we use our eyes to see, and then we judge, and then we act.
But there is something more about our eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul.
We look into the eyes of a person whom we are in a comfortable relationship.
But we avoid eye contact with a person whom we feel uneasy with, or that we just want to keep a distance from.
The gospel began by saying that as Jesus went along, He saw a man who was blind from birth.
Whenever the Scriptures mentions a seemingly ordinary sentence, like the verse earlier, then usually a divine revelation is about to happen.
When the gospel mentions that Jesus saw the blind man, that also brings us back to the 1st reading.
In the 1st reading, God says this to Samuel: God does not see as man sees. Man looks at appearances, but the Lord looks at heart.
Jesus saw the heart of the blind man, and He saw a man of faith and courage, despite his blindness.
And indeed, after when the man received his sight, he bore witness to Jesus and spoke up for Him, despite being ridiculed and rejected.
As the RCIA Elects enter deeper into the period of Purification and Enlightenment with the Second Scrutiny, the Lord is also looking into their hearts, and the Lord is also looking into our hearts.
But the Lord looks into our hearts to strengthen our faith and courage, so that we can purify our hearts and to make a home in our hearts for Jesus.
And the Lord also looks into our hearts to enlighten us, so that with our hearts that are filled with light, we will be able to see clearly.
To see clearly is to see as God sees, and not as man sees. Man looks at appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart.
So, with our eyes purified and enlightened, let us look at our own hearts.
And may we look from the things of earth, to the things of above, where God is.
May we see clearly, may we act wisely, and may we be holy.