Daily Catholic Lectio. Fri, 5 December ’25. Light to the Eyes

Daily Catholic Lectio

Fri, 5 December ‘25

First Week of Advent, Friday

Isaiah 29:17–24. Psalm 27. Matthew 9:27–31

Light to the Eyes

Advent teaches us to wait for the One who brings light—light not only to the world, but to the deepest recesses of the human heart. Today’s readings centre on a promise: the Messiah will open the eyes of the blind. What begins as a physical gesture becomes a revelation of God’s very nature—He is the One who sees us, heals us, and restores our sight.

Scripture has always recognised the sacredness of seeing. Jesus declares, “The eye is the lamp of the body” (Mt 6:22). The very first word God ever speaks in creation is, “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3). And at the end of creation, God “sees” that everything is good (Gen 1:31). Human sin, too, begins with the eyes: the forbidden fruit was “pleasing to the eyes” (Gen 3:6); Potiphar’s wife “cast her eyes” on Joseph (Gen 39:7).

But the Bible also tells us of a God who sees with compassion. The first divine name revealed in Scripture is El-Ro’i—“the God who sees me” (Gen 16:13). Hagar discovers this God in the wilderness, realising she is truly seen. Tobit, healed of his blindness, embraces his son saying, “You are the light of my eyes” (Tob 11:13). Simeon, holding the infant Christ, exults, “My eyes have seen your salvation… a light for revelation to the nations” (Lk 2:30–32).

Isaiah announces that, in the days of the Messiah, the eyes of the blind will see. That prophecy is fulfilled when Jesus restores sight to the two blind men in the Gospel. The One who sees our hidden wounds gives them not only new eyes, but new life. Yet Jesus also adds a striking instruction: “See that no one knows about this!” Sight, therefore, is not only physical; it becomes a call to attention, vigilance, interior watchfulness.

Today’s psalm brings this into prayer: “The Lord is my light.” God is not merely the giver of light—He is light itself.

From the Word to Life

1. Guard what you see and how you see.

Our eyes gather more information than any other sense. But today, more than ever, they are crowded—especially by screens. Much of what we take in happens without awareness. Advent invites us to turn our gaze to what nourishes, not numbs; to what clarifies, not confuses. Let us reclaim our eyes from the endless glow of our phones and lift them toward what gives life.

2. Honour the dignity of those who cannot see.

Words shape worlds. Using terms that belittle those with disabilities diminishes the image of God in them. Let our speech reflect reverence. Let our churches, communities, and public spaces be designed with their needs at the centre. The Gospel is fulfilled when all are able to “walk in the light” with dignity.

3. Learn to see with closed eyes.

It is often when our physical eyes close that the eyes of the heart open. This is why we pray with closed eyes—not to escape the world, but to enter more deeply into God’s presence within. Today, pause. Close your eyes. Allow your inner sight to awaken to the God who dwells in your depths, who sees you completely, and who calls you into His light.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy