11/17/2025 (Monday – Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary) Today’s Gospel reading: Luke 18:35-43

35 As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
36 and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
38 He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
39 The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!”
40 Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
42 Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
43 He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

11/17/2025 (Monday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Luke 18:35-43

As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man sat by the roadside, begging, his world wrapped in darkness, his hope dimmed by years of helplessness. Yet when he heard that Jesus was passing by, something stirred deep within him. It wasn’t curiosity. It was faith, an inner conviction that the One walking nearby could give him what no one else could: healing and new life.

Faith begins not in what our eyes see, but in what our hearts believe. The blind man could not see Jesus, but he recognized His power through the stories he had heard. He believed before he saw. That faith was louder than the crowd that tried to silence him. Even when people told him to stop calling out, he cried even more. His persistence was not an act of desperation; it was an act of trust. He knew that Jesus listens to those who cry out to Him with sincerity.

When Jesus stopped and asked that the man be brought to Him, it was an act of divine compassion. The Lord, surrounded by a great crowd, paused His journey for one man who was invisible to the world. That is the heart of Jesus, compassion that notices those others ignore, love that reaches out to the suffering, and mercy that restores what is broken. His compassion is never too busy, never too distracted, never too tired to respond to a cry of faith.

Jesus did not simply heal the man’s eyes; He healed his life. In that moment, light flooded into darkness, and hope filled an empty soul. The man’s first sight was the face of the One who loved him enough to stop. His faith had opened the door, and Jesus’ compassion had stepped in to transform his existence.

This story is not just about physical healing; it’s about spiritual awakening. Many of us walk through life with different kinds of blindness. We may not be blind in sight, but we may be blind in spirit, unable to see God’s goodness amid our pain, or His purpose in our waiting. Like the blind man, we sometimes sit at the roadside of our own struggles, feeling forgotten. But Jesus is still passing by. And He still hears the cries of faith that rise above the noise of doubt.

Faith is the key that turns our cry into a conversation with God. It tells Him, “Lord, I believe You can make me whole.” And compassion is the hand that reaches out from heaven to answer that cry. Together, faith and compassion create miracles, not only of healing bodies but of restoring hearts.

If you feel lost, hurting, or unseen today, take courage. Your voice matters to Jesus. Call out to Him with the same boldness the blind man had. Let your faith push through the noise and your trust silence the fear. The same Jesus who stopped for one man on the road to Jericho still stops for those who call upon Him today.

In His presence, blindness turns to vision, despair to joy, and faith to healing.

Go here to read further Gospel reflection.