Can you please tell me how you are going to die? How will you pass from this world of the living and enter eternity? Will you drown? Will you be shot? Will you contract a disease? Every one of us must admit that we must die to move forward in our life. There is no doubt that we will die but there is a question about how. In a moment, Jesus turns to those who have witnessed His Divinity through the healings, through the exorcisms, through the dead rising and through His control of the winds and waves.
Jesus looks them straight in the face and states clearly that He is headed to Jerusalem where the “Son of Man” will be betrayed, spat upon, scourged, crucified and on the third day rise again. It is pretty obvious that unlike you and I; Jesus knows the details of His own death and is unafraid to continue his march towards the Holy City. Jesus defines Himself on this journey as “Son of Man”, which is a key title to indicate that He is representing us. His human nature absorbs our humanity and because humanity fell from the Grace of God then it is necessary for one of us to redeem all the others by taking the medicine that cures what ails us…Sin.
Sin can only be healed by the “shedding of the Blood of the Son of Man”, Who is also the Son of God. As Son of God, He is innocent of sin and a worthy presentation to the Father on behalf of humanity. Didn’t the apostles know this? No, they have not received the gift of the Holy Ghost and so their eyes were blinded. Hence the exposition of this word by the encounter with the blind man who sat on the way. He heard the commotion and inquired “Who was passing by?” The response of the crowd was “Jesus of Nazareth”.
Funny, he did not call out Jesus of Nazareth heal me! No, he cried out the messianic term: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! What are you saying? They attempted to shut him up. He cried the louder: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus Who was passing by simply stopped and stood before him and asked: “What would you have me do?” The poor blind man asked to be able to see. Interiorly he had seen that the person who could give him sight was the messiah, the Son of David. He could see better than the apostles, better than the scribes and better than all around. He saw the divine Son of God with the power to heal him and give him physical sight. That gift would be the fulfilment of his interior vision.
We are captured by the Love of God which seeks to bring all of us to the spiritual vision of our lives. Sin is blocking the sight of children, adolescents, adults. The sin of our days is to think we are somehow greater than that God Who created us. So we become the measure of our lives and we subordinate everything (even God) to our will. With this deification of man comes the satanizing of the world around us. Remember when we make ourselves a god then we make everyone else a demon. We find EO’s fostering the death of innocent children and with the stroke of a pen, millions will die. Can we accept this? No. The Divine Law which commanded us to “be fruitful,” will call us guilty of condemning the innocent lambs. This darkness is coming over our nation and we must make serious acts of reparation for all that is coming out of Washington, D.C.
As Catholics we are called to intercede for these blind souls (bishops, legislatures, senators, president) that they might receive the Light of Christ. They must cease the murderous agenda and return to the faith that conquers Satan’s deceits. As an act of reparation this Ash Wednesday we will accept the fact that as humans we come from dust and will return to it. Second, we offer the sacrifice of the Lamb of God in reparation and expiation to the Father. Finally, we will expose the Lord of all upon our altar and spend time in adoration. A Lent will begun is already half done. Recall the Stations of the Cross each Friday evening as another spiritual powerhouse for atonement. Let us turn to our Mother to help us make a serious plan for the salvation of the souls around us blinded by the lights and sensations of the world. Lord, Son of David, have mercy upon us! Mary, Immaculate, pray for us.
In the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Fr. Richard Voigt
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