James 1:19-27 / Mark 8:22-26 (2020)
One of the most annoying moments of the day is when one wakes up in the morning to the loud shrill of the alarm clock and bright lights and with shouts to get up and get washed.
That kind of thing usually happens in basic military training or in leadership camps.
After a good night's sleep, we would like to wake up gradually and get used to the surroundings in an easy and quiet environment. That would be a really nice way to start the day.
In the gospel, it may seems strange that Jesus took two attempts to cure the blind man.
But it may not sound so strange if we understand that Jesus wanted to cure the man's blindness gradually.
Having spent all his life in darkness, the man now gets to see everything, but the bright lights may be just too much for his eyes or even his mind to withhold.
So in this instance, the gospel passage portrays the tenderness and understanding of Jesus in curing the blind man.
Similarly, Jesus does not expect us to change our ways instantly. Also a gradual change would be a more permanent change.
The 1st reading tells us to be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to arouse our temper because God's righteousness is never served by man's anger.
Often we let our instincts rule our life and inevitably that also darkened our world.
Being quick to listen and slow to speak and even slower to arouse our temper requires control and discipline.
With the grace of God we can do it. As the 1st reading puts it - So do away with all the impurities and bad habits that are still left in you; accept and submit to the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls.