We see with our heart - Not with our eyes….What is getting in the way?

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke how Jesus performs a great miracle….And the word about him began to spread…..”He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region”…Jesus performed many miracles and you would think that EVERYONE would have been convinced that he was God….Think again?…Why?…Or better yet - HOW could you deny such miracles?……When it comes down to believing in God or not…Seeing or even experiencing a miracle has nothing to do with it….It comes down to - Am I willing to change or not - Period!….Jesus Christ could come down from heaven in full view of the entire world today and some people would still not believe in him - In fact, they would plot to kill him again - Why? - Because they were not willing to change…That my friends is a sad reality….We see this in politics…We see this in family life….We see this in every day choices made all over the world……The human mind rationalizes behavior…..Compartmentalizes ideologies and flat out ignores reality to justify not changing……….Jesus tells us in Scripture and what he says rings true to this very day………”My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”……..What we “see” with our eyes has very little to do with us believing in God or not believing in God……..It’s what is in our heart that allows us to see….”Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God”…..This is how we “see”….This is how we “hear”….And this is how we act upon what we “see” and “hear”…......We must strive to purify our hearts

“When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

So the question we must tackle today……What is “getting in the way” of us “seeing” and “hearing” the Lord?….The answer is simple - Our very selves……….What makes a man change?…What makes a person commit to a new way to live?…..Words?….The witness of another?……In a word - Grace……..I have witnessed hardened men…Men committed to a life of deep and dark sin request to be Baptized……I saw this with my own two eyes while working with Mother Teresa’s sisters at an AIDS Hospice in New York City……How did these men get to this point? - To change their entire life - Everything they stood for and lived for……This is a mystery…....But as sure as I am writing this reflection today is as sure as these modern day miracles happened and still happen………"Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you".........The collective “we” need to “get out of own way”….....God is always knocking on the door….…….”A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people” - This was the response of some of the people who saw the miracle performed by Jesus, told to us in today’s Gospel at Mass……..And for those who still did not acknowledge Jesus for who he was and is to this very day - Reality does not change because we refuse to accept it…..And sadly, the “party ends” and it will not end on your terms - Write that one down…..Our time is now - To “figure it out”……We are given every opportunity……”Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God”….....We see with our heart - Not with our eyes….What is getting in the way?

JMJ