- Friday of the First Week of Advent
Matthew 9:27-31
Isaiah 29:17-24
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
Matthew 9:27-31
As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, let me see your glory as you pass by. I am always in need of being cured by you of my spiritual blindness. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief! I trust in you, Lord, help me when I despair. I love you, Lord, help me overcome my selfishness.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Healing Both Types of Blindness: Isaiah prophesies around the 8th century B.C. that, one day in the future, “the eyes of the blind shall see,” and Jesus, in the first century A.D., fulfills that prophecy. But there is something more at work in the Gospel than the healing of physical blindness. Even the prophet Isaiah looks forward to a time when Israel will be blessed with renewed vision, understanding, and joy. When Jesus heals the eyes of the blind, this is a sign that the age of salvation has come. Before healing the blindness of the two men, Jesus invites them to be cured of their spiritual blindness through faith in him. They pass from the blindness and darkness of sin to the sight and light of faith.
2. The Son of David: The blind men call out to Jesus with an important title, “Son of David.” This is an acknowledgment that Jesus is the hidden king. He is the royal descendent of David, who is destined to rule over heaven and earth. What the men ask for, in faith, is mercy. The kingship of Jesus is not about earthly wealth or power. It is about healing, forgiveness, and merciful love. Jesus is like David and yet superior to him in so many ways. Jesus and David were both anointed with the Spirit of God. David gave Israel rest from their physical enemies (2 Samuel 7:1), Jesus offers eternal rest – a share in God’s own life – and has conquered our true spiritual enemy once and for all. David acted as a priest-king and provided food for his people (1 Chronicles 16:3), and this sustained them for a brief time. Jesus, by contrast, is our eternal high priest and eternal king, and he provides us with his own body and blood as food and drink, leading to eternal life.
3. Saint Nicholas: Today, we celebrate the optional memorial of Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a bishop of Myra, in modern-day Türkiye, in the fourth century A.D. On the one hand, Nicholas is commemorated for his charity and care for the poor and those in need. On the other, Nicholas is remembered as a defender of the truth of the Incarnation of the Son of God proclaimed at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Both are lessons we can learn this Advent. When we buy gifts this season for our families and friends, let us not forget the poor, who struggle to pay rent or buy warm clothes for winter. When we pray the creed at mass, let us thank God for guiding the Church to teach the truth about Jesus, the Son of God, who came to save us from sin and death. Jesus is true God and true man. He became man so that we might become God. In the fullness of time, the eternal Son of God assumed our lowly human nature, so that we might share, through grace and glory, in the divine nature and enter into the eternal embrace of God’s family.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, true God and true man, you are my faithful and merciful high priest! Intercede before the Father for me and my family. Ask for what we most need. Gather us under your wings and protect us from all evil.
Living the Word of God: How well do I know the story of Saint Nicholas and the Christian dimensions of the celebration of Christmas? Do I have time to read Michael Barber’s The True Meaning of Christmas (Ignatius Press) this Advent to understand more deeply the birth of Jesus, the symbols and celebration of Christmas, and the origins of the season? Would this help me be a better witness to Christ to those I encounter during the upcoming weeks?
