+ Our readings today are magnificent. There
is a sign of hope always offered and rendered to mankind – this being God’s
response to the sin of our first parents against his love, care and beneficence.
Even when the punishment of
God must be justly carried to an extreme, still there is a sign of hope, a sign
of renewal, a sign of life.
The “plucked-off olive branch”
of the first reading from the creation narrative of the Book of Genesis first
reading, was the sign, in the world engulfed with the floods of water, of a
living tree, which meant that the floodwaters were receding and that life on
earth could begin again.
God always is in favor of a
restart, a regeneration, a renewal for those willing to cooperate in the
rebuilding process.
A connection to the gospel passage
can be found here: in that when Jesus heals the blind man, the first thing he
sees is “people looking like trees and walking.” This intermediary step in the
healing process always puzzled me, but the author of a homily aid that I
consulted today cleared things up for me when he says that the seeing man first
saw what we will see on Good Friday: the man Jesus carrying his cross as if he
were a tree walking. This is a new and amazing insight.
The sign of the tree,
therefore the sign of Jesus walking in our midst carrying his tree of
sacrifice, is the promise of New Life on earth.
When we see a crucifix from
now on let us harken back to this of Divine Love, Divine Understanding of the
Human Situation, Divine Forgiveness, Mercy and Compassion. Let us see the wood
of the tree and thank God for his love, his plans for our welfare, and his
invitation to eternal life.
To
you, Lord, we will offer a sacrifice of praise!
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