Seeing Clearly in the New Year
This year we step into a new decade. We've stepped into the year 2020. The first thing that came to my mind (and perhaps for many others) when I think of "2020" is 20/20 vision. So, let us see clearly in this new year. But much more so than our vision -- let us see clearly through the eyes of faith and the eyes of our hearts.
As St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, may the eyes of our hearts be "enlightened," and as a result we may know the hope that comes with Christ, the identity that is given to us - sons and daughters of the Father. May this year be about seeing the truth and not clouding it and not dressing it with anything. Let us proudly live and proclaim the truth, seeing clearly and inviting others to this perfect vision. Like the gift of vision, we do not and cannot do anything to earn this truth, it is simply given. But whether we choose to accept it and how we use it is up to us.
When Jesus saw a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, we are told that the Pharisees "watched Jesus slowly to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him" (Mk. 3:2). Those men we seeing with the intention to accuse. How do we see? With what intention do we see and look at others? Our Lord invites us to see with His eyes. He invites us to see others as beloved sons and daughters of the Father and to see through the lens of mercy and compassion. He invites us to remove the glasses of shameful judgment and intentional accusation and put on the glasses of loving compassion and healing restoration. Jesus came to save, to heal, to liberate, to redeem, and to reconcile. We are challenged to continue this mission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:19-20a). And, all that Jesus had commanded of the disciples can be summed up by one word: love. Before ascending and after giving this command, Jesus offers them one final word of consolation and comfort, "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt. 28:20b).
May we see clearly this new year, not with the intention to accuse and cause harm, but rather with the intention to reconcile and to love and to do so with the confidence that Our Lord remains with us as He promised.
Father, may we see as you see, and may we do so with the eyes of love and mercy as Your Son did. Teach me that above all things, it is in love that we will see You.
As St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, may the eyes of our hearts be "enlightened," and as a result we may know the hope that comes with Christ, the identity that is given to us - sons and daughters of the Father. May this year be about seeing the truth and not clouding it and not dressing it with anything. Let us proudly live and proclaim the truth, seeing clearly and inviting others to this perfect vision. Like the gift of vision, we do not and cannot do anything to earn this truth, it is simply given. But whether we choose to accept it and how we use it is up to us.
When Jesus saw a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, we are told that the Pharisees "watched Jesus slowly to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him" (Mk. 3:2). Those men we seeing with the intention to accuse. How do we see? With what intention do we see and look at others? Our Lord invites us to see with His eyes. He invites us to see others as beloved sons and daughters of the Father and to see through the lens of mercy and compassion. He invites us to remove the glasses of shameful judgment and intentional accusation and put on the glasses of loving compassion and healing restoration. Jesus came to save, to heal, to liberate, to redeem, and to reconcile. We are challenged to continue this mission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:19-20a). And, all that Jesus had commanded of the disciples can be summed up by one word: love. Before ascending and after giving this command, Jesus offers them one final word of consolation and comfort, "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt. 28:20b).
May we see clearly this new year, not with the intention to accuse and cause harm, but rather with the intention to reconcile and to love and to do so with the confidence that Our Lord remains with us as He promised.
Father, may we see as you see, and may we do so with the eyes of love and mercy as Your Son did. Teach me that above all things, it is in love that we will see You.
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