Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
Reflection
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
How do you see? A physician would say the organ of your eyes, the optic nerve and a part of your brain.
Is there another way to see? St. Paul says, "May the eyes of your heart be illuminated, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and the wealth of the glory of his inheritance with the saints."(Ephesians' 1:18)
Jesus also explained to His disciples about seeing and hearing when they asked, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" (Matthew 13:10) "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them."
(Matthew 13:13)
Jesus continued, "For the heart of this people has grown fat, and with their ears they hear heavily, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and then I would heal them."(Matthew 13:15)
We celebrate the life and martyrdom of St. Lucy or St. Lucia of Syracuse. She was martyred during the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian, known for his persecution of the early Christians. Lucy's father was a Roman and her mother was Eutychia (possibly of Greek heritage). The family was wealthy. Her father died when she was very young.
Eutychia was a widow and suffered from a hemorrhagic condition.
Lucy loved Jesus. She had consecrated herself to Jesus and wanted to give all she had to the poor. She believed with all her heart that Jesus died and rose again in Jerusalem for her salvation. Some said that Lucy used to bring food to the poor under cover of night and put a candle on her head as she carried the bundle of food through the dark alleys.
Despite Lucy's promise to Jesus her mother betrothed her to marry a Roman. Due to Lucy's rejection of marriage, the young man reported her to the Governor of Sicily, Paschasius. It wasn't verified if she or the Governor plucked her eyes out. But it was verified that for her punishment, she was to be forced into prostitution. She would not succumb to this so they piled wood around her and tried to burn her. God protected her from this punishment, too. Then they finally killed her by the sword.
St. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and those with eye problems. Lucy saw with the eyes of her heart. She saw Jesus in the poor and the hungry she helped. Lucy or Lucia means light. One needs light to see. The inner light of her heart showed Lucy how to love Jesus and how to love like Jesus. Wednesday, December 14th, PAPA FACE ZBS resumes. We need to learn how to see with the eyes of our heart. Come to our Face-to-Face Zoom Bible Study and learn how to see Jesus with the eyes of your heart.
May the eyes of your heart be illuminated, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and the wealth of the glory of his inheritance with the saints."(Ephesians' 1:18)
Comments