Reflection for December 5
Carter, age 8
As I reflected on today’s gospel reading, one sentence really stood out for me: “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” What exactly does this mean?
According to Hebrews 11:1, Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction of what we do not see.
Another definition would be, “a deep trust, conviction, and confidence in God and His promises, not just an intellectual belief but a whole-person commitment involving the mind, heart, and will to God's truth, even when God's work is not visible to the eye.”
Today we have two men who physically cannot see. But despite that, they have the confidence to seek out Jesus who they believe can heal them. They believe that he is the prophesied Messiah who has come to bring healing and hope. We know this because they addressed Jesus as “Son of David.” Although they are physically blind, they are not spiritually blind. They recognize God’s presence and trust in Him fully. They were willing to actively seek God's presence and power, not just believe in it. The men's joy and transformation after receiving their sight show the profound change that occurs when we encounter Christ, emphasizing the transformative power of faith.
This reading encourages us to trust in God's power to heal and transform us, and to not be afraid to proclaim His love and mercy to others, just like that of the two healed blind men.
I recall a line from the 1947 movie, Miracle on 34th Street, that I remember to this day: “Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.” A transformative statement made by the young girl, that even her ‘common sense’ mother could not deny.
So, how is your faith?
Cheryl Gosselin