receive their sight, and the light of faith. Whence Baptism used to be called the Sacrament of “illumination”.
The outward signs of the Sacraments. The outward means used by our Lord for the cure of the man born blind, namely the anointing with clay and the washing with water, could not, of themselves, have restored his sight. But it was our Lord’s almighty will that these ceremonies should be the means by which He gave sight to the blind man. They were types of the outward signs in the Sacraments, which are the means chosen by God for imparting the inward and supernatural graces which are given to us in the holy Sacraments.
Confidence in Divine Providence. The poor man’s life-long blindness was apparently a very great misfortune. It was not so really; for God ordained that this blindness should not only tend to the glory of His Son, but should be the cause of the salvation of him for whom it was apparently a terrible affliction. We should never murmur against what is sent to us by God, but should always be satisfied, and say to ourselves: “The All-wise God alone knows to what good end such and such an apparent misfortune may lead.”
Application. Sight is the greatest and most precious of God’s natural gifts to us. To understand its value you must try to imagine what it would be like had you been born blind. Have you ever thanked God for your good eye-sight? Show your gratitude by keeping a guard over your eyes. Do not let them wander about when you are in church; and above all things do not use them for any unworthy purpose.
But you must thank God still more for the supernatural light of faith, and resolve that all your life through you will bravely confess the holy Catholic Faith by word and by deed.
Chapter XLIX.
THE LORD’S PRAYER.
[Luke 11, 1 — 13. Mat. 6, 9—13.]
JESUS having on one occasion retired to a desert place to pray, one of His disciples said to Him: “Lord, teach us how to pray[1], as John also taught his disciples!“ Then Jesus said to them: “When you pray, say: Our Father, who art in heaven,
- ↑ How to pray. Probably the disciples had watched our Lord when praying,and the wish had arisen in them: “Would that we could pray like that.” According to St. Matthew this prayer formed part of the Sermon on the Mount.
