DAILY HOMILIES #blindness

An African proverb says that if a child washes his hands very well, he will be invited to sit at the table and eat with the elders. In other words, if we are humble, regardless of our size and status, we will be granted access to high places. Humility will put people under us, like the child leading the lion, the leopard, the wolf, and the lamb.

When we are guilty, the truth sounds like an insult or a personal attack. This happens because God’s Word is alive. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Truth, like medicine, is bitter, but it brings healing. Instead of fighting it, accept its bitterness, and it will set you free (cf. John 8:32)

Hatred (often expressed by unforgiveness) betrays our Christian faith: “By this, we may be sure that we are in him: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” How did Jesus walk? He forgave his killers. How are we to know we are in Christ Jesus? By forgiving our enemies.

Hatred is deadly. The feeling of hatred makes you blind to the good in others. Hatred makes you criticise everything in everybody. Hatred blinds us. St. John warns us: “He who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 John 2:11).

Be good. Be convinced of your Christian faith and just do the right thing. Just as the Samaritan woman went to tell everyone in the town about Jesus, this is a time for us to proclaim Jesus to the whole world like the blind man: “One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25).

Consider a privilege each time you meet someone poor or in need of your help, and treat them with kindness even if they are not strong enough to ask for your help. If you have what you need, remember that whatever is extra doesn’t belong to you. You are blessed to bless others.

Just as one cannot walk far in the night when it is dark, we cannot go far in life with hatred in our hearts. The person you hate right now may be your saving grace tomorrow. Hatred is a sign of unforgiveness and a betrayal of our Christian faith.

Hatred against another is like poison in our body system. This poison, like venom, destroys others but more importantly, it damages us by extinguishing the light of God in our hearts. To hate a person is to open your heart for the devil’s manipulation.