Tuesday, February 21 : Saint Gregory the Great

We must note that the blind man was enlightened while Jesus is said to be drawing near Jericho for ‘Jericho’ is interpreted as ‘moon’. In sacred scripture the moon symbolizes the weakness of our body, since as it wanes in its monthly changes it depicts the weakness of our mortal nature. The blind man came to the light when our Creator drew near Jericho, because when a divine person undertook the weakness of body the human race recovered the light that it had lost. God suffered as man and we mortals are raised up to divinity. The humanity represented by this blind man is rightly described as sitting at the wayside and as begging. Truth himself told us: “I am the way” (Jn 14:6). Anyone ignorant of the brightness of eternal light is blind. If he already believes in his Redeemer he is “sitting at the wayside”. If he already believes but only pretends to ask for eternal light, if he refrains from praying, he is indeed a blind man sitting at the wayside… If anyone recognizes the darkness of his blindness, if anyone understands that the light of truth is wanting to him, let him cry from the bottom of his heart, let him also cry with his whole mind, let him say: “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!”

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team