A MIRACLE OF LOVE AND CONCERN
In a sense, Anne worked a miracle, a miracle of love and concern. You and I can work the same kind of miracle by loving concern for all those with handicaps and those in need of any kind of help. Any effort to help the sightless, especially the blind in spirit, is pleasing to our God. I believe most of us can remember Helen Keller. I just recently read about her life, which is fitting for today's reflection. When she was two years old a serious illness destroyed both her sight and her hearing. Imagine not being able to see or hear! When Helen was seven, a teacher named Anne Sullivan tackled the apparently impossible job of making contact with Helen's mind through the sense of touch. Anne worked out a sort of alphabet by which she spelled words on Helen's hand. Gradually the child was able to connect words with objects. Once started, Helen made rapid progress. Within three years she could read and write in Braille. At the age of ten she determined to perfect her speech. At sixteen she entered Radcliffe College from which she graduated with honors in the early 1900's. She became one of the most highly educated women of her time. Anne Sullivan was constantly at her side until the dedicated teacher passed away in 1936.
Today's Gospel tells us that Jesus cured a man of his blindness. Jesus did everything He could for that blind man. Since He was God, Christ gave him his power of sight. And in a sense that is what Anne Sullivan did. She did everything she could for Helen Keller: she brought the light of Christ to her to help her. She made it possible for the blind and deaf girl to get in touch with the world outside herself. In a sense, Anne worked a miracle, a miracle of love and concern. You and I can work the same kind of miracle by loving concern for all those with handicaps and those in need of any kind of help. Any effort to help the sightless, especially the blind in spirit, is pleasing to our God.
Jesus cured the blind man so he could see and also because of his faith. But Jesus also needed to make a point to the Pharisees who needed to open their eyes and hearts to Jesus' teaching and come to believe in who He is - the Son of God. They said they could see, but their sin remained because they were blind in spirit.
My friends, we who have come to know Christ's light in our lives must ask ourselves what we can do. We can be present and visit those who are homebound in nursing homes and hospitals. We can call someone just to see how he or she is doing today. We can spend quality time with our family or a friend. We can volunteer some time to be a helping hand to persons with handicaps or problems by reading to them or taking them to church or a park: again, for us just to be present to them.
Let us be the light of Christ to someone!