seeing, saturday

Saturday, May 3

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer: Then run, faithful souls, happy and tireless, keep up with your Beloved who marches with giant strides from one end of heaven to the other.  Nothing is hidden from His eyes.  He walks alike over the smallest blade of grass, the tallest cedars, grains of sand or rocky mountains.  Wherever you go He has gone before.  Only follow Him and you will find Him everywhere. (The Sacrament of the Present Moment by Jean-Pierre De Caussade)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 8:1-26

Reading for Reflection:

     The entire eighth chapter of Mark is about seeing.  Not just seeing in the physical sense, but seeing in a much larger sense—perceiving, understanding, getting it.  That is the context for this particular miracle.  Jesus is not just healing a blind man, he is teaching his disciples the truth about their own spiritual vision.  And, as is so often the case, Jesus is operating on so many different levels at the same time.  He is always so intentional about everything he does, even in the miracles he performs.

     In this particular case, the blind man is healed in stages.  The first touch allows him to see, but not too clearly—he sees people but they look like trees walking around.  And then the second touch totally restores his sight and he is able to see everything clearly.  Thus, the intent of the two touches is to show his disciples that their sight, too, is being restored in stages.  It is to show them that, slowly, with each day and each new experience with Jesus, they are also seeing a little more clearly.  That piece-by-piece and bit-by-bit they are actually beginning to “get it.”  And it just might be that we are as well. (Reflections by Jim Branch)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself (insert Mission info here)

                                           
Closing Prayer: Heavenly Lord of love, in your goodness you have opened your eyes to your light.  So fill our hearts with your glory that we may always acknowledge Jesus as Savior, and hold fast to his word in sincerity and truth.  We ask this through the same Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.  (The Little Book of Hours)