St Albert the Great

1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands – Psalm 118(119):53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158. Luke 18:35-43.

Son of David, have pity on me

What do you want me to do for you? This is a puzzling question from Jesus. Surely he would know straight away that the man was blind and wanted to see. But perhaps our most pressing concerns are not always the most obvious. Perhaps we can be blind to what really needs changing in our life. And maybe we could give a different answer; ‘I need healing in my relationships, not my body’. Sometimes, however, the response is staring at us in the face and finally comes to light. The blind man at first wanted pity; maybe he wanted money. But what he heard in Jesus’ question was the power to remove his need for pity or alms. The light dawned for him and he saw and rejoiced. How might we answer this question from Jesus for ourselves today?