by Fr. Tommy Lane
Most countries allow drivers to attach mirrors for the blind spot to one’s car to make it safer when changing lanes on big highways. The standard mirror doesn’t allow us to see cars approaching in what we call our “blind spot.” Newer cars give a warning by means of a sound and flashing light when something approaches in the blind spot. Under EU law, trucks have two mirrors: the standard mirror and a smaller mirror facing sideways so the driver can view the blind spot.
There is also a blind spot in the parable Jesus told in today’s Gospel:
Lord, when did we see
you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs? (Matt 25:44)
They had lived life with a blind spot and didn’t even know it until it was pointed out to them at the last judgment. We could say there are three opinions of us: our opinion of ourselves, others’ opinion of us and God’s opinion of us. The one that really matters is God’s opinion of us. The people in Jesus’ parable had been living life in their opinion of themselves and perhaps others’ opinion of themselves but unaware of God’s opinion of them. They were unaware of their spiritual blind spot.
There are other passages in Scripture also pointing out the spiritual blind spot. Jesus taught a parable about a rich man and a poor man called Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man didn’t give Lazarus even the scraps that fell from his table. In the next life, their positions were reversed.
King David in the Old Testament also had a blind spot. He arranged to have Uriah killed in battle so that he could marry Uriah’s wife. The prophet Nathan told a parable to David (2 Sam 12:1-7). There was a rich man and a poor man in a town. A visitor came to the rich man and instead of taking one of his sheep to prepare a meal for his visitor, he took the poor man’s lamb. David became angry when he heard this. Nathan said to him, “You are the man.” It took a parable from Nathan for David to realize that what he did to Uriah was wrong.
We all have blind spots. Is there a mirror, or warning light and sound, for the spiritual blind spot so that we will not be faced with learning for the first time at our judgment what was in our blind spot? Yes. We have the guidance of the Church’s teaching and Sacred Scripture. We have the commandments. Insights in prayer also guide us. Going on our own spiritually without the guidance of the Church or Sacred Scripture will leave us in a spiritual blind spot. We are all aware of those who say they are spiritual but not religious. Yet, a key part of the spirituality of Jesus is what he says in John 6: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” (John 6:53) How can someone who claims to be spiritual but not religious accommodate that key part of the spirituality of Jesus? “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” It can be accommodated very easily in the blind spot. How can someone receive First Holy Communion or Confirmation with no intention of going to Mass regularly? Very easily with a spiritual blind spot.
The blind spot highlighted by Jesus in his parable in today’s Gospel is lack of awareness that what we do to others we do to him. It is easy to help someone who is pleasant. The challenge is when the person is unpleasant. I have found the example of Mother Teresa, St. Teresa of Calcutta, helpful when dealing with people who are difficult or challenging or who require patience. Her care for those in need has reminded me on more than one occasion to be kind to those who required patience on my part. We learn how to live the Gospel by looking at the example of the saints. The example of Mother Teresa has helped me to live the teaching of Jesus in the parable in today’s Gospel.
We do not want to discover later that we were living with a blind spot. To avoid a painful discovery later, stay close to Jesus in prayer every day. Stay close to Our Lady who is our spiritual mother. Choose a saint friend in heaven and regularly ask him or her for help. Remember the commandments. With all these spiritual helps, we hope that when we meet the Lord in the next life, he will have good things to say to us because we made him king of our lives:
I was thirsty and you
gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me.
You received the sacraments because you loved me and wanted me in
your life every day. (Matt 25:44)
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2023
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
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