Seeing Beyond the Eyes

Reflection Date: November 16, 2026 | Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Gertrude, Virgin

Memorial of Saint Margaret of Scotland
Daily Readings: Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5; Luke 18:35-43

Children of God:
In Japan, there is a long tradition of blind massage therapists known as anma practitioners, who played an important role in traditional healthcare. 

During the Edo period, from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, many visually impaired people practiced anma, a traditional form of therapeutic massage that involved pressing, rubbing, and manipulating the body. 

Their highly developed sense of touch became an important skill, allowing them to earn a living and serve people who needed treatment. The Japanese government and various institutions eventually supported vocational training for visually impaired people, helping preserve their professional skills and independence. 

Their history reminds us that losing one ability does not mean losing every possibility in life; sometimes, people discover remarkable strengths in places others never expect.

In the gospel story of a blind beggar who sat beside the road near Jericho, Jesus passed by while the man heard the crowd approaching. When he learned that Jesus of Nazareth was passing, he cried out, asking Jesus to have pity on him. 

People around him tried to silence him, but he shouted even louder. Jesus stopped, called him over, and asked what he wanted. The blind man answered that he wanted to see, and Jesus restored his sight because of his faith.

What are our inspirations for today?

First, never allow the voices of others to silence your hopes and dreams.

In the gospel story, the blind beggar cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" (Luke 18:38). But the people walking ahead of Jesus rebuked him and told him to be quiet. 

Perhaps they considered him a disturbance or thought that someone like him did not deserve the attention of an important person. However, instead of giving up, he shouted even louder. He knew what he needed, and he refused to let other people's opinions prevent him from asking for help.

How many times do we allow other people's opinions to discourage us? Sometimes, we stop pursuing our dreams because somebody tells us that we are incapable. We hesitate to express ourselves because we are afraid of being criticized. We abandon good intentions because people might laugh at us or question our decisions. There are moments when the greatest obstacle to our progress is the negative voices we allow to influence our choices.

We must learn to distinguish between advice that helps us grow and criticism that simply discourages us. We cannot please everybody, and we should never expect everyone to understand our struggles or appreciate our aspirations. 

What matters is that we remain faithful to what is good and continue seeking God's guidance. Like the blind beggar, we must have the courage to keep calling upon the Lord, even when the people around us tell us to stop.

Never allow the voices of others to silence your hopes and dreams.

Second, we need to honestly recognize what we need.

Jesus certainly knew that the man was blind, but he allowed him to express his deepest desire. The man answered directly, "Lord, please let me see." (Luke 18:41). He did not pretend that everything was fine. He did not hide his weakness or make excuses. He openly acknowledged what he needed, and Jesus responded to his faith.

Many people find it difficult to admit that they need help. We sometimes wear a smile even when we are exhausted, pretend to be strong when we are hurting, or keep our problems to ourselves because we do not want others to see our weaknesses. But recognizing our needs is an important step toward finding the help and healing we deserve.

This is also an invitation to examine our spiritual lives. What kind of blindness do we experience? Perhaps we are blind to the needs of our family, insensitive to the suffering of our neighbors, or unable to recognize our own mistakes. Perhaps we are so occupied with our ambitions that we fail to see the people who need our attention. We must have the humility to ask Jesus to open our eyes, especially when we struggle to recognize what needs to change in our lives.

We need to honestly recognize what we need.

As we reflect, we ask ourselves: What are the voices or criticisms that prevent me from pursuing what I believe God calls me to do? 

What personal weaknesses, struggles, or wounds do I need to bring honestly before Jesus? Am I able to recognize the needs of the people around me, especially those whom society often ignores?

Children of God:
Life will always present us with moments when we struggle to see clearly, understand our situation, or find the courage to move forward. But we must never allow discouragement to take away our hope or pride to prevent us from asking for help. 

Jesus continues to listen to those who call upon him with sincere and trusting hearts. May we always have the courage to seek his presence and the faith to recognize the blessings he places before us.