Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 497

Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Saint Luke tells us this story about sight as Jesus approaches Jerusalem and the "baptism" he must endure. Not only did the blind man begin to see, so did the crowd with him. 
Faith is a way of seeing things; and very often, a way of seeing what others cannot see. 
Parents know about the blindness of their children; they cannot see that their actions and inaction have consequences. People who study these things say that the awareness of consequences comes rather late to the young adult, sometimes after they have learned to drive, drink and handle firearms. They simply don't think things through.
On September 12, 2001 I spoke to a very small congregation of women in Minnesota, saying that we must not go to war over this crime. Let justice be sought through international courts, rather than through the blunt force of the military. Of course, Al-Qaeda knew what they were doing, and that the United States would blindly rush into war, not sure at that time who the enemy was or where to find him. That was seventeen years ago and we're still invested in Afghanistan, unable to divorce ourselves from that unhappy marriage.  
Faith knows every action has consequences. They are difficult to predict. How far will they penetrate into a changed reality; how long will they reverberate through the coming days and years; how many lives will be changed; what will they cost? Faith ponders these questions before acting.
Faith recalls the past and is faithful in its memory of blessings, achievements and regrets. It sees more clearly the consequences of decisions that were made with only partial vision. 
Faith trusts that God is still in charge and that the redeemed will find their place in Salvation History. We cannot imagine that final scenario of peace, mercy and justice. We cannot see how the Lord uses even our most regrettable sins for his greater honor and glory, through the transformation of the cross. But we believe it will come.