As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. John 9:1-3

He was probably no more than 8 or 9 years old with sandy brown hair and a beaming smile. In front of his white, scruffy polo shirt, both hands were clasped tightly around the hand of a friend who was leading him toward the narthex. Both boys chatted quietly and happily as they made their way out to hear the Word. His eyes were closed.

Now emblazoned in my mind, the sight of that blind child being led down the aisle at Mass struck me in a profound way.

This particular parish allows children to process out during the Liturgy of the Word in order to hear the day’s Scripture readings presented in a way tailored to their young ears. Normally, I just smile at the cute kids and ponder what it will be like when Jacob is old enough to go along. On this occasion, however, the Holy Spirit caught my attention for something much more important.

The boy had utter trust in his friend. He wasn’t reaching for the arms of the pews or looking to anyone else for assistance, and neither was he bumping into or tripping over anything as the flock of children made their way out of the sanctuary. Using both hands to embrace his helper, the boy showed just how totally and completely he held faith in his guide.

A thought came into my head, the origin of which my feeble reasoning cannot claim: "What would happen if this boy shunned the help of his companion and instead tried to walk out on his own?"

Well, with no other means of assistance he would probably fall, possibly hurting himself. My thoughts began to spin in on themselves. Why would he turn loose of his friend’s hand? What could even cause an idea like that to pop into his mind?

Pride.

If, in pride, the boy thought, "I can do this on my own," he would foolishly refuse the safety and surety provided by the boy who could see. In so doing, he would also turn down a pure and holy gift offered out of love.

Sitting there, my mind was turned to thousands of sins I have committed. In the blink of an eye, the Holy Spirit guided me through them one-by-one, boiling them all down for me. These wrongs into which I have fallen are mainly symptoms of a much deeper issue.

Pride.

Reflecting, I realized just how much I try to accomplish things for myself. Often it’s something seemingly trivial like refusing a neighbor’s offer of a snow shovel when I’m almost done clearing the driveway. Sometimes, though, it’s much more serious. When presented with God’s plan, do I choose to wholly submit? Do I go to Adoration when I feel the urge, or do I find something else to occupy my time?

Before this split-second of clarity, I would have said that I do a decent job of submitting to God’s will. If I’m honest with myself, though, oftentimes I try to go out on my own. Actually putting it into words makes me realize how absolutely stupid it is to presume that sticking to my comfortable plans might in any way be better than the plans God has for me… regardless of how difficult His path may appear.

Then and there I realized that my pride has prevented me from even realizing that I am blind! Furthermore, my pride has caused me to go bumping & falling down the aisles of life instead of just taking the hand of the dear friend who truly desires that I should never stumble.

I close my eyes. In the presence of the Word made flesh, warmth fills the darkness…

O God, you are my God-- for you I long! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, like a land parched, lifeless, and without water. So I look to you in the sanctuary to see your power and glory. Psalm 63:2-3

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