Grave and Dangerous Human Blindness
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.”Ps. 138
Jesus did not come to heal bodies but to give us eternal life —that is, to heal our souls by leading us to holiness. This is the main purpose of our life on earth, because what good would it be to have physical health if one is spiritually dead?
However, the current culture’s obsession with bodily health is striking, while the health of the soul is completely ignored and neglected. Millions of videos give advice on physical health, millions of daily Google searches cover topics like natural remedies, food properties, and so on —yet there is no concern for the eternal soul, which for the most part is dead, having cast God out of their lives.
The problem is that people don’t want to look in that direction or even touch the subject, because deep down they know it would demand a change in lifestyle they do not want to make. The evidence of God is overwhelming. All of creation proclaims the glory and greatness of God. And yet, people prefer to believe in nothingness and coincidence as the origin of all things—no matter how absurd-rather than believe in the God who revealed Himself and came to offer us eternal life, just to avoid change.
It’s paradoxical how hard-hearted we are, but that is the wound of sin in which we were all born. We come from the lineage of rebellion and disobedience; we are all born in pride, with the tendency to make ourselves gods, to be our own masters, refusing to submit to God or anyone. And despite all of God’s efforts-and those of His Church-to open our eyes and heal us of the blindness that leads us to the abyss, we do not want to listen or correct our crooked paths in order to reach the salvation God wants to give us.
It is absurd and scandalous: it’s like knowing you’re on a train that is about to crash and fall into the abyss, and instead of worrying about stopping or getting off, you’re focused on removing a pimple or cutting your nails. Distracted by so many futile and fleeting things, while heading toward hell—something Jesus warned us about so much—even though we could avoid it by listening to Him and following Him as the path of life that He is.
We live in this world with a short-sighted view, focused on everything that is temporary and will vanish tomorrow, occupied with what is destined for destruction-since not one stone will be left upon another. We write on sand, knowing that a gust of wind will wipe it all away; we invest effort and talent in the ephemeral. What will it all have been worth? What is your goal? Is it the one God wants for you, or the one dictated by your own human foolishness—or the devil? What good is physical health if one is spiritually dead? All vou have can be taken away by a simple accident or virus. If you do not have Christ, you have nothing, because you do not have Life (1 John 5:12).
Weekly Readings
Sunday: Gn 18:20-32/Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8 (3a)/ Col 2:12-14/Lk 11:1-13
Monday: Ex 32:15-24, 30-34/Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23/Mt 13:31-35
Tuesday: Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28/Ps 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13/ Jn 11:19-27 or Lk 10:38-42
Wednesday: Ex 34:29-35/Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 9/Mt 13:44-46
Thursday: Ex 40:16-21, 34-38/Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11/Mt 13:47-53
Friday: Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37/Ps 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab/Mt 13:54-58
Saturday: Lv 25:1, 8-17/Ps 67:2-3, 5, 7-8/Mt 14:1-12
Next Sunday: Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23/Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17 (1)/ Col 3:1-5, 9-11/Lk 12:13-21
Observances for the Week
Sunday: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Tuesday: Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
Thursday: Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Friday: Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Next Sunday: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
