The Unprofitable Servant: What Happens When You Can See

Sunday, April 3, 2011

What Happens When You Can See

In this scene from Jesus of Nazareth, the blind man resists the Lord's desire to cure him. Someone in the crowd jokes that the man knows if he could see, no one would give him anything any more. The few coins he receives from the generosity of others is nothing compared to what he could earn, but it's easier this way. Because of his blindness, he doesn't have to work or struggle like the rest of us. His reward for begging, while meager, is enough to get by, and he is clearly satisfied with just getting by.

Blindness can be a curse of darkness, but it can also be a crutch. When we are blind, we can blame our lack of sight for a lot of transgressions. "I did not know that was a sin, and now that I do know, I will continue to act as though I don't." Or, you try to argue and reason your way out of it. "Now how can THAT be a sin? We were only trying to have some fun."

Getting to Heaven is not easy. Nothing worth doing is. But look around you and if your family and circle of acquaintances is anything like mine, there are an awful lot of folks who are happy as larks to just get by.

Sometimes I am touched by those converts or reverts who, in a a moment of weakness, will long for the days when they were ignorant. Life is a lot more fun, depending on your perspective, when you can do as you please with no worry about what state you have put your soul. For a person who has not yet been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, it can be unnerving to discover that, now that you know better, you must change or risk the loss of eternal life.

It is a wonderful thing to have Jesus enter your life, but to some, it comes with too great a price. I hear it all the time from people who would rather wallow in their blindness to God's Will than repent and convert.

"Life was meant to be enjoyed"

"I'm not hurting anyone, so why I can't I (fill in the blank)?"

"God wants us to be happy, and doing x, y and z makes me happy, so how it could it be wrong?"

I don't know you about you, but for me, this life is an exile. Those of us who pray the Rosary pray those words every day when we appeal to Mary. Life wasn't mean to be a dreary dungeon of gloom, but it wasn't mean to be a utopia either. Watch the people who carry on as if the opposite is true. Is their life a utopia? Is anyone's?

For me, there is nothing quite like making an honest and thorough examination of conscience. Try it sometime and if you stumble across something that you didn't know was a sin, ask Jesus for the strength to admit your infirmity and be cured of it in confession. Ask Him to give you the graces you need to bolster your resolve against that sin from now on.

It is a sin to want to remain in darkness and the price is definitely not worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfuwQPtcno8&feature=fvsr

8 comments:

peetApril 3, 2011 at 12:44 PM
Good message.

There is no going back and when
one does turn away from God it is
painful.

Those of us who have experience in AA
and the recovery world know that when
we pick up our substance of choice
again it will really be painful.

I did not drink for 2.5 years but that
one relapse in August was ugly!

It's funny you use that line:

"God wants us to be happy...so..."

A former spiritual mentor told me the
wrong thing when he said that God was
OK with some of my sinful actions
if they ," made me happy".

Despite the pleasure involved in some
actions, they are against God's will
and so they do not lead to happiness
as God intended.

A peaceful sabbath day to you,

P.
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TLWApril 3, 2011 at 1:23 PM
You too, Pete, thank you :)
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Mary ChristineApril 3, 2011 at 2:28 PM
wonderful video. And your post is like the story of my life. I am so glad I can see what I can see now. I can't believe I wanted to be blind, but I did.
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MariaApril 3, 2011 at 8:47 PM
A terrible temptation to judge others is there, too, once we "have seen the Light", yes?
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TLWApril 4, 2011 at 4:35 PM
Maria, some of the most judgmental people I know do not acknowledge the light exists, but I can relate to what you're saying. I think it's always a temptation.
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MariaApril 4, 2011 at 4:49 PM
Joyce--they don't acknowledge the Light because they don't yet know Him, so we pray for them, right?
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TLWApril 4, 2011 at 7:21 PM
Maria, do you have some doubt about that?

Absolutely, what would be the good of recognizing someone is in darkness and not praying for them! I may have more to say about this in a post about something personal.
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CarolineApril 4, 2011 at 8:18 PM
"I don't know you about you, but for me, this life is an exile."
Makes me think of the apostle Paul in 1 Cor 5:8..
We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
But it's the love of Christ that keeps urging us on to bring the light of Christ to those in darkness.
You do it so beautifully.
+PAX
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Mary, Queen of Peace

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of every kind whatsoever. Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet comforter and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, wither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; Through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine Will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months thou didst bring forth from the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit the world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on the Mount of Olives, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it, through the welts and bruises of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross when He exclaimed, "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying, "It is consummated." I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He confronted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led the captivity captive. I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His Disciples, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world, by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in His life, and the unspeakable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, (Mention your prayer intention here...) And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because thou asketh nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly, obtain through thy Son, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty, to Whom be all power now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

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God Bless You!

The Unprofitable Servant

Sunday, April 3, 2011

What Happens When You Can See

8 comments:

Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross