Sunday of the Blind Man Ocala 5/28/06

Since our childhood, I am sure that all of us must have repeated the Lord's Prayer many hundreds of times. And why not? Isn't this the model prayer, which our Lord gave to us? It's phrases, one by one, truly constitute a way of life.

The Lord's prayer has the power, (that is, if we permit it) to bolster and transform our life. But, the sad reality is, that we tend to repeat the Lord's prayer rather routinely, and I may say almost mechanically.

One particular phrase in the Lord's prayer states: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!" Thus,- the question is: "do we really believe this, and do we subject our life to His Will?

Naturally, if everything is going well, we may even say "thank God", but, when we are faced with problems, or some great trial we may suffer, --- some sickness, or any adverse situation,- all these constitute the proving ground of our faith.

Our faith is tested, and if it is as strong as it should be, we surely will have the power to overcome any adversity! St. Paul stated it so beautifully in Romans 8:28 saying, "for those who love God, all things work together for the good!"

We know very well, that we just can't explain, nor even comprehend many things in this life. This is a fact, simply because, regardless of our learning, and the great discoveries and accomplishments, we are still finite beings. No matter how high, and how great our achievements, before which we often marvel, humankind still has its limitations.

That is why, in today's Gospel Lesson, the question posed to the Lord by His Apostles, after He had cured the blind man, is a question, which we also may have asked during some trial, -- mishap or catastrophe in our life!

"Lord" His Apostles asked: "who sinned? The blind man, or his parents, for his having been born blind?

Asking that question, the Apostles gave an _expression to a common proverb, in days of old, which states: "The sins of parents, bring suffering to their children." And while this is not an absolute, --­yet, as experience proves, it does have some merit.

The Lord was quick to reply: "Neither did he sin,; nor did his parents sin, for him to have been born blind; --- but rather, that the power and the glory of God, may be made manifest through him!"

Down through the ages, and as long as people will inhabit this earth, there will always be a questioning, regarding pain and suffering. And it is precisely at this point, where faith comes into play, as we seek to resolve ourselves to God's will; because --- we believe, that nothing happens, unless there is some ultimate purpose, which our finite minds cannot comprehend.

For instance, today, we enjoy the comforts in God's Church; but, have we ever stopped to think of the countless thousands of Christian martyrs, who were atrociously tortured, beheaded and devoured by the wild animals in the Arenas, whose total sacrifice resulted in the ability for us to enjoy all, that we so freely enjoy?

 Lord suffered untold scourging, torture, ridicule and pain, and finally was hung on a Cross, which everyone believed with great disappointment, that this was the end.            But, on the 3rd day He arose from the dead, to make all things new, --- giving us the true concept of life, and the guarantee of our resurrection, and our becoming citizens of the Kingdom of God!

If people do suffer, whether their life is virtuous or sinful, how then can we explain the earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and even wars, which cost the life of thousands of innocent victims? What can we say? What logical explanation could we give? To be sure, -none; because these belong to the inexplicable mysteries of the universe, which are strictly in God's realm.

Precisely, for this reason, each Christian must galvanize his or her faith in God, Who is the Alpha and Omega of life. God is the only guarantee in life. After all, it is He Who declared: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life!" Yet, people will choose their own way and continue to stumble in the darkness.

The word labyrinth is a Greek word, and alludes to a dark, endless cave, as the one on the Island of Crete. In the mythological days of ancient Greece, we learn of the Minotaur; --- the monster who devoured all those, who entered the labyrinth, simply because, they got lost in the endless maze of the dark cave. There really was no escape.

When Theseus, the son of King Aegeus of Athens sailed to Crete for the purpose of finding and slaying the Minotaur, Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, wanted to help Theseus, and gave him a large ball of cord, to string it along, holding it, as he proceeded in darkness.

Without this, he could never have been able to find his way out of the Labyrinth. Theseus was successful in his mission. He slew the Minotaur, and then, holding on to the cord of Ariadne, he emerged safely from the maze of the Labyrinth.

In like manner, a person can easily lose oneself in the labyrinth of life, where life is often dismal, and full of darkness. People surely will remain lost, and will be consumed by the "Minotaur" of sin, if they do not possess the proverbial cord of Ariadne, which of course translates into one's unshakeable Christian Faith. The cord of Ariadne is our unshakeable faith in the will of the Almighty.

We must learn to firmly believe this, and truly live by this faith,--- because, all things are possible with God.

Our fundamental faith in the life of the hereafter, surely does give us the strength, and the power to sustain the trials and tribulations of this life. Our faith teaches us, that pain and suffering is the great instructor in life; --- it teaches us to know ourselves, --- to always humble ourselves, --- and to be conscious of our limitations. It is only our unshakeable faith in God, which will see us through any of life's adversities.

There is no doubt, that when we suffer some great trial, there come moments of weakness, when almost automatically we repeat the Lord's very words, when He agonized upon the Cross: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" But then, we remember, that Jesus immediately after that phrase of agony declared: "not my will, but Your Will be done!" This is a vivid example for every Christian.