I have a parishioner at St. George parish who is just about always a picture of joy. She is encouraging toward others, and has such a sweet spirit that it draws others to her quickly and easily. If she knew I was writing about her, she very likely might be embarrassed (so please do not tell her). Those of you who know her, know exactly what I am speaking about--although it is not her name, I will call her "Jane".
There is something incredibly humbling about being with her, because the Lord has given her a challenge that may seem to prevent joy. Not for her. You see, Jane is blind. I know that blindness would be terribly difficult for me. I do so much that requires my sight, that I would struggle were I to go blind right now. Yet, in spite of saying that, I know that I could learn a few things from her; and I am not referring to reading braille.
What struck me so deeply about Jane's deep faith was her comment this last week when I announced the scheduled time of adoration. She asked if anyone could pick her up and drive her to Church so that she could participate. I told her that we would definitely find someone. Think about her desire though. She wanted to go to adoration. That means that she wanted to be in the presence of the Sacrament on the altar.
We usually think of adoration as significant because we can see the Sacrament in the monstrance. For Jane, I have to presume that since she cannot see the Sacrament (which is something we find so significant), she wants to be closer to the Sacrament. Her appreciation of a time of adoration with the exposed Sacrament points out the deeper aspect of the grace that is found in the Sacrament. It is not just an "I can see it" thing. Just being in the presence of the Lord in the Sacrament is a blessing that we do not always think about.
Jane is a testimony of love for God in so many ways. While not being able to see the beautiful things about this world that I can see, she has a love for God, and for life itself, that rivals what many of us can do on our best days. It is that love for God that, I believe, leads her to experiencing grace in her spirit--possibly more profoundly than many of the rest of us do. While many show little interest in the (great!) blessing of adoration because it does not have the excitement of a video game or tv show, we need to learn that there are some things that are more powerful than what we can see with our eyes.
Our minds have been so numbed by a constant stream of entertainment, that we have forgotten how to open our spirit and allow God to touch us. The contemplative and meditative practices of a time of adoration truly can have an amazing impact on our souls; if we will let it. Many people see Jane being led forward for communion during the Mass and I am sure that they think that she is missing out on something because of her blindness. I think we might be the ones missing out on what Jane can "see" (!).
