Lagura: Lord, that I may see

ONCE there was a blind old man who lived alone in a hut deep in the woods. Generally people respected him, but some shouted at him, cursing him. Naughty boys often threw stones at his house breaking the windows.

One day a group of boys came upon a bird’s nest; their leader grabbed a young bird and shouted at his gang, “Come, and let’s play a trick on the blind old fool!”

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Without knocking at the door the young boys burst inside the hut. Their leader confronted the old man. Holding out his right hand he tauntingly said, “Old man, I have something here in my hand. What is it?” To their great surprise the old man replied, “It is a young bird.” The boy continued, “Is it alive or dead?” Wisely the old man answered, “That depends very much on what you will do.”

Many times people think of God as an old man in the sky who is blind to the events swirling around the world. Much more, with the billions of men, women and children, He does not care.

God sees, and in his infinite wisdom He knows. As a loving Father, He feels for each one of us. He realizes what burdens weigh us down, and He wants to relieve us of those unnecessary loads on our lives.

An important means to make us see, know and unburden ourselves of what bothers us in our lives is the sacrament of confession. Call it penance or reconciliation.

True, the priest is a man, himself sinful. He cannot see, and the screen separating him from the penitent does not lend easily to seeing the person and his or her sins.

However, God sees, and some gifted souls like St. Padre Pio knows the sordid soul and heart of a person even before the penitent opens his mouth.

Moreover, that the penitent will live in the grace of God or die forever in his or her sins is in the hands of the penitent. He or she alone can open her heart to let in the grace of forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. Or the penitent’s heart and soul can remain closed to the prospect of eternal life preferring death instead.

“You were born totally in sin, and you are trying to teach us!” And they threw him out. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshipped him. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” John 9;34b-40