When Jesus Opens the Eyes of the Soul

The Scripture readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120525.cfm

To encounter Christ is to encounter the One who heals—physically, spiritually, supernaturally. Today’s Gospel reminds us that miracles are not mythology but reality. Two blind men cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.” Their plea becomes the seed of what the Church would later cherish as the Jesus Prayer—“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

The Fathers of the Church teach us that Scripture works on multiple levels. Historically, the miracle happened. Allegorically, the story unveils the drama of the spiritual life. We, too, are often blind—moving through seasons of darkness, dryness, and desolation. St. John of the Cross calls this the “dark night of the senses,” a purification God permits so that we learn fidelity beyond feelings.

Yet God does not leave the faithful in darkness. For those who persevere, He leads them into illumination, contemplation, even the grace of infused prayer—where, as St. Teresa of Avila describes, the soul is “invaded by the supernatural.” Prayer shifts from something we do to something God does in us.

This is the heart of the Jesus Prayer. Slowly, reverently, breathed in rhythm with the heart, the soul becomes accustomed to the presence of Jesus. The Eastern saints tell us that one can reach the place where even in sleep the heart continues to pray.

This is our call: not merely to “say prayers,” but to become prayer. To carry Jesus in every breath. To let His name shape our thoughts, our conversations, our interior life. When we invoke His Holy Name, He draws near—because He desires intimate communion with us.