QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY: Homily of St. Gregory the Great: The blind man of Jericho

 One of the many reasons the Latin Mass ought to be treasured and encouraged is that it is still a source of theological insight.

Our Redeemer, foreseeing that his disciples would be troubled in their minds at his Passion, announced to them long before both the sufferings of his Passion, and the glory of his Resurrection; so that when they should see him dying, as he had foretold, they might not doubt that he would rise again. But the disciples were still earthly-minded, and by no means able to understand this mystery; so he worked a miracle. Before their eyes, a blind man received his sight; that their faith might be strengthened by such deeds of heavenly power, for they could not understand his words concerning heavenly mysteries.

But the miracles of our Lord and Saviour must be accepted in this manner, that we must believe that they actually took place and at the same time were intended to signify something to us. Indeed, the works of God not only manifest his power, but also speak to us of some mystery. For example, who this blind man was of whom the story is told, we know not; but we do know what is signified by this miracle. This blind man is indeed a figure of mankind, driven out from the joys of Paradise in the person of its first parent, knowing not the glory of the heavenly light, and suffering the darkness of its condemnation. But nevertheless it is enlightened in the presence of its Redeemer; so that now it possesses in desire the joys of inward light, and by good works begins to walk in the way of life.

Those who were in front rebuked him, and told him to be silent, but he cried out all the more, Son of David, have pity on me! This blind man, when the crowd wished to silence him by threats, cried all the louder: and in the same way, when weighed down by the carnal thoughts which overwhelm us, we must likewise increase our determination to persevere in prayer. Our sins are the crowd which would hinder our crying, and the remembrance of them thrusts itself even in our prayer. But the more violently we are assailed by our restless thoughts, the more fervently should we rise above their tumult and give ourselves to prayer, in order by our insistence to attract the tenderness of our Lord.

We are well aware when we wish to turn from earthly things in order to seek God in prayer, the occupations in which we formerly found pleasure become an irksome and heavy burden. We have much trouble to set aside the remembrance of them from the eyes of our heart by forming a holy desire, much trouble to efface these images by our tears of penitence. But when we persevere fervently in prayer we induce the passing Lord to stop and remain in our minds, according to what follows: then Jesus stopped, and gave orders that the man should be brought to him. He was passing, but he stopped. Indeed, as long as we allow ourselves in prayer a crowd of distractions, we feel, so to speak, that Jesus passes by, but when we pray with all our fervor and perseverance, Jesus stops and gives us light.