The Gospels record many instantaneous miracles, but the healing recounted here occurs in stages. Friends bring a blind man to Jesus, who takes him by the hand and leads him away from the crowd. He puts saliva on the man’s eyes and asks what is happening to him. “Can you see anything?” According to one translation, this man “was beginning to see,” but the people he saw were shadowy forms moving about. Jesus touched his eyes again, and then he could see clearly.
This is a wonderful model for spiritual growth! We have encountered the living God, and we are beginning to see things in a new way. Still, so much remains indistinct and fuzzy. Only through continued dialogue with Jesus and his repeated touch can we grow in our ability to see the world in the light of God’s love.
But there is another way to apply this story of gradual sight. For most of us, our life’s work comes into focus gradually rather than being revealed early on. For instance, three of us may like numbers, but that aptitude may lead one person to become a teacher and another to program computers and a third to compose music. It’s only as we grow and experiment, and as we listen to the Lord and the mentors he has given us, that we discern what our true calling is.
Similarly, our vocation may be outlined in a moment of decision to become a priest or to seek a spouse, but it takes a lifetime to enflesh that vocation. Being a parish priest or the mother of small children dictates much of what will fill our days. But only in cooperation with the Holy Spirit can our daily routine become a vocation of love, a way of bringing God’s kingdom into a specific time and place.
In your prayer today, tell Jesus what you can see, and admit what still seems confusing. Take a look at the way your vocation is unfolding. How is God inviting you to love him more? Ask him to sharpen your spiritual vision so that you can see your life and your calling more clearly.
“Jesus, I long to see myself and others as you see us. Open my eyes wider to the reality and power of your love.”
James 1:19-27; Psalm 15:2-5