Give me life, O Lord"

Today Mass Reading

Today’s first reading and gospel reading set up an interesting comparison. In the passage from Maccabaeus, we hear the tragic fate that has fallen upon the holy city of Jerusalem and the Israelite people who reside there. Many of the Israelites have adopted Gentile custom and forgotten their Jewish heritage. By covering up their circumcision mark, sacrificing to idols, profaning the Sabbath, and, in general, abandoning the law which was their tradition and their sacred religion, the Israelites have given in to the ways of those who surround them. The king Antiochus Epiphanes wanted this; he wanted all people united under him and him alone. In this one kingdom, all had to sacrifice to the gods that he chose. It was a sort of nationalistic unity that he desired, with no room for the customs of those who worshiped the one true God. Those who kept the law were condemned to death, and yet, many preferred this to forgetting their God and his law. “Terrible affliction was upon Israel,” notes the last sentence of the passage. For the faithful Israelites living at this time, it must have been a time of questioning. Why the suffering? Why the challenge? Why so many abandoning the faith? Where is God in all of this? The comparison with the Gospel then, also comes in the last line. After Jesus restored a blind man’s sight, Luke notes: “When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.” The people must have looked to Jesus and found some answers. After suffering through so much in their past, here was someone able to perform amazing deeds. Addressed as the Son of David, Jesus is identified as a part of this Jewish tradition and recognized for his healing power. And yet, this healing happens as the disciples and Jesus are on their way to Jerusalem. The passage from Luke immediately preceding this has Jesus telling his disciples of that which is to come – his passion, death and resurrection. It must have been a sobering thought as they journeyed along. Like the Israelites in the first reading, the disciples might have wondered… why the suffering? Why the challenge? Where is God in all of this? Then Jesus healed the blind man, and all the people gave praise to God. Perhaps this incident was some salve on the wounds the disciples were feeling. So much trial was yet to come for Jesus and for each one of them, and yet, in the end, God is to be praised!

Those who do the command of God often undergo suffering. And yet, in the midst of this suffering is redemption. As we live this day, may we strive to give glory to God in response to how he restores our sight in so many ways by helping us to see the world as he sees it. Let us be aware of the redemption that comes in our suffering here and now, and let us look forward to that ultimate redemption that comes with our eternal life in God. May we echo the psalmist’s words, “Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.”