Spiritual Blindness
Today's Gospel (John 5: 31-47) has Jesus still trying to convince the Jews of his divinity with the Father and the works he has been sent to earth to do. But the Pharisees and the Jews were spiritually blind. Their pride made them think that they can attain eternal life by studying the scriptures and following its laws. Their hearts were closed to changes, for fear of losing their power and high-standing in the Temple. They refused to accept the truth in Jesus' teachings. The plot to kill Jesus intensified.
I always believe that there is a thin line separating awareness and ignorance, the good and the bad. A thin line where the spiritually blind can easily cross over and the dark forces take over...justifying all the sins they have committed or about to commit. There in their dark world, the murderers, rapists, robbers, the corrupt, in their blindness and disregard, are sensitised to their hideous crimes.
Another form of spiritual blindness is when one thinks one is righteous, just like the Pharisee in his prayer, condemning the tax collector. We must always be conscious to be humble in whatever we do and say. In our quest to be humble, we should look to Mary, the Mother of our God on the day the Angel Gabriel appeared to her to announce that she had been chosen to bear a son, a Saviour for the world. Her reply should be imprinted into our hearts as a lesson in humility: "I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done unto me according to thy word." From then henceforth Mary helped God in the salvation of souls...our souls.
Saint Augustine once said that "humility is the foundation of all other virtues"...it is only in humility that one can love, forgive, empathize easily with each other. That is what our Lord wants of us, in our words and deeds so that we will be able to draw others to see and experience his great love and mercy for all mankind.
From humility of heart proceed serenity of mind,
gentleness of conduct, interior peace, and
every good.
- St Paul of the Cross-
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