"Jesus opens my eyes. 

As he gives me his full attention, I grow in trust and confidence."

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

James 1:19-27

 My beloved,

Be quick to hear but slow to speak and slow to anger,   for human anger does not fulfill the justice of God.   So get rid of any filth and reject the prevailing evil, and welcome the Word that has been planted in you and has the power to save you.

 Be doers of the Word and not just hearers, lest you deceive yourselves.   The hearer who does not become a doer is like that one who looked himself at the mirror.   He looked and then promptly forgot what he was like.   But those who fix their gaze on the perfect law of freedom and hold onto it, not listening and then forgetting, but acting on it, will find blessing on their deeds.

 Those who think they are religious but do not restrain their tongue, deceive themselves and their religion is in vain.  In the sight of God, our Father, pure and blameless religion lies in helping the orphans and widows in their need and keeping oneself from the world’s corruption.

 

Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

 

  ＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊ 

Mark 8:22-26

When they came to Bethsaida, Jesus was asked to touch a blind man who was brought to him.   He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had put spittle on his eyes and laid his hands upon him, he asked, “Can you see any­thing?”   

The man, who was beginning to see, replied, “I see people! They look like trees, but they move around.”   Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again and the man could see perfectly. His sight was restored and he could see everything clearly.  Then Jesus sent him home saying, “Do not return to the village.”

 

 

Gospel Reflection：

Doing the Word

One of the Aesop’s pieces of wisdom, given wider currency by the American football coach Lou Holtz, goes thus: “After all is said and done, there’s a lot more that is said than done.”

Apostle James would agree. For him, nothing is more important than doing the word, which is “religion pure and blameless.” A doing that benefits and cares for the neighbor. God is such a doer. Jesus says: “My Father goes on working, and so do I “ (Jn 5:17).

Clearly, in today’s gospel, Jesus is working hard to cure the blind man. He takes the man by the hand to the margins of the village, puts spittle on his eyes, lays his hands upon him, and then on his eyes.

He could have healed with a word, but he complements his words with action. Perhaps Jesus was modeling for us how practice of faith must cost us time and effort.