WE ARE the suffering, imprisoned, and blind.
This could be Jesus' first homily as one commentator shared. In the gospel this Sunday, he speaks about what his mission is - what he wants to do, what his purpose is - that is to bring “good news” to those who suffer, to free captives, to cure the blind - he came because we needed him to come. He did not just bring the good news - he is the “Good News” himself.
But who are the suffering, imprisoned and blind? We are. Each one of us. Sometimes physically, and most of the time spiritually.
We suffer from disappointments, heartbreaks, and trials. Our strong tendencies to sin and our self-centeredness are like prisons. Everyday we are blinded by temptations that make us fall time after time - making us believe that we will be happy as long as the right people accept us and we have enough money, success or fun or comfort in life. This is the life we think we need. But this is not the life God wants us to have.
And in our hearts we know that. We know that we should be better, stronger, more patient, wiser, happier. We put up a good front, but underneath - underneath we are suffering, imprisoned, and blind. We need a savior. We need Jesus.
But how does Jesus save us? How does salvation happen? It happens in a partnership. But most often we think that he is going to do it all for us. Jesus invites each of us to follow him, but we have to accept the invitation. His invitation is an invitation to friendship. Friendships can transform us. We are no longer slaves but friends of Christ.
This transformative friendship is similar to the Holy Eucharist. In the sacrament, we present ourselves like the bread and the wine which is transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ through the priest and the words of consecration. Only God can transform bread and wine into Christ's body and blood. But on the other hand, because Jesus wants our friendship, he chooses to require our cooperation. Our lives are like that bread and wine: ordinary and plain, but full of potentials.
If one wants to experience the life God meant us to enjoy, we need to constantly say yes to God’s invitation of friendship and offer of salvation. How do we let Jesus be our Savior? We allow him to be our savior by willingly finding and embracing God’s will for us. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us, “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done.” This can become a challenge for many as we often sing our own tune, “I did it my way!”
What is God's will? One commentator simply put it that God's will is the Ten Commandments, the commandment to love your neighbor as your self, the teachings of the Church, and the voice of conscience, the duties of our state in life. The commandments, Church teaching, conscience, our responsibilities: that's where we find God's will.
Ultimately is about how to better love others as Christ has loved us.
Think about it. Pray and act on it. Jesus wants to be our savior. Maybe it is time to allow him the chance to save you. Trust him - seek and do God’s will. When your eyes are finally opened, your hearts will find deeper joy and meaning in life.