Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 6; Repose of Blessed Olga (Olha), Princess of Kiev, named Helen at Holy Baptism (c. 970); The Holy and Praise-worthy Martyr Euphemia (303); Hoshiv Icon of the Mother of God (Attestation of Miracles by Metropolitan Athanasius Sheptytsky, 1737)
Romans 15:1-7; Matthew 9:27-35
Read Matthew 9:27-35
I once heard an interesting perspective about today’s Gospel. The two blind men and one mute man could be seen as symbols of a person who is spiritually both blind and mute. Two blind men correspond to two eyes and the one mute man corresponds to one mouth.
What is spiritual blindness? Spiritual blindness is an inability to see God at work. In a broader sense, it is an inability to see anything in the world from a Catholic, biblical perspective.
What is spiritual muteness? Spiritual muteness is the inability to speak about spiritual matters from a wholesome, Catholic perspective. Do we know anyone like that?
If we do, we can offer these two types of prayers:
- “Lord Jesus who opened the eyes of two blind men, open the spiritual eyes of your servant (name) and heal their spiritual blindness.”
- “Lord Jesus who opened the eyes of the mute man, loosen the spiritual tongue of your servant (name) so that he/she may be able to speak about You openly.”