And their eyes were opened

6 DECEMBER (Mt 9,27-31)

Never has in the Old Testament any prophet opened the eyes to a blind man. Only for the Lord’s Messiah such a power is prophesied. Who foretells it is Isaiah.

But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel (Is 29,17-19).

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe (Is 35,1-6).

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with its crops, Who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it: I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness (Is 42,5-7).

The Evangelist Luke, citing the text of Isaiah about the Messiah of the Lord, read by Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth, adds this very prophecy which is a distinctive sign of the Servant of the Lord. This specific text of Isaiah does not contain this prophecy. Here is the original text of Isaiah and the one modified of Luke.

g glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, To announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God, to comfort all who mourn; To place on those who mourn in Zion a diadem instead of ashes, To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning, a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit. They will be called oaks of justice, planted by the Lord to show his glory (Is 61,1-3).

In the adaptation of Luke, the prophecy about the gift of sight is central and not marginal.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Lk 4,18-19).

Jesus is the one who comes to give light not only to the eyes, but even before to the mind, to the spirit, to the heart and to the soul of man. He comes so that every man can see all created reality and himself under the most powerful light of the divine truth. He comes to free man from the blindness of verity which is the source of all moral blindness.

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed (him), crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Today man has plunged into so great a blindness that he can no longer see even the truth of his being a man and a woman. He lives in a total confusion. His blindness embraces the whole created universe, in its every relationship. The animal is seen as a man, man is thought of as an animal. The blindness is so great as to not even know the most elementary truths about human nature. To this then pride, that makes one believe that man is not in need of any light, is added.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints free us from our folly.