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In this week’s daily gospel, Jesus heals two blind men.  Sight is a marvelous gift.  How wonderful are the sunsets, the flowers, the smiles of loved ones, fireworks shows, Christmas lights, and all the rest. We all treasure this gift and even if we have 20/20 vision with our eyes, we still need to pray “Lord, I want to see,” (Mk 10:51) so that we can see with our hearts.  Seeing with the heart is the only way to truly see because God becomes present to us at all times.

In the classic novel Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, we see the contrast between spiritual blindness and spiritual sight in the two major characters, Scarlett O’Hara and Melanie Hamilton. Scarlett goes from wealth, to poverty, back to extraordinary wealth.  Her determination goes far beyond simply trying to save her family’s home and keep them from starving because she places herself at the center of her universe. Scarlett’s gaze is turned inward toward herself and she fails to see the gifts and opportunities God has given her.  Her reliance not on God, but herself, leads her to fear because she cannot control everything no matter how hard she tries. Her fear turns into all-consuming greed and she actually enjoys thinking that others envy her. She creates a great deal of collateral damage as she spirals downward into the chasm of unending wants and unsatisfied desires, rejecting the love of those around her. She finds herself without friends and completely alone at the end of the novel; even her husband walks out on her. 

By contrast, Melanie Hamilton, who is considered weak by Scarlett’s assessment, has strengths that shine through.  Melanie’s gaze is turned outward toward others.  She sees with her heart and responds to others in need. Melanie never says an unkind word, refraining from even listening to gossip. Even though they have little food at the end of the war, Melanie feeds the hungry soldiers walking many miles home to their families because she believes that others would do the same for her husband who is trying to return to her.  She has compassion for those who are society’s outcasts like Belle Watling, and supports Scarlett without judging her when difficult decisions need to be made.  She looks for the good in everyone and throughout life’s trials, Melanie seems to be at peace.  She is the only character who experiences real joy.  It is Melanie’s generosity of spirit that makes her such an unforgettable character.

The virtue of generosity comes from seeing Our Lord in front of us in every interaction.  We stop what we are doing, put down our cell phones, and take time to be truly present as we listen to others.  We see Jesus in the hungry, in the lonely, in the despairing and are moved to share our resources, time, and talents with them.  When we respond without generosity, this is a sign of our own brokenness that needs to be healed.  We need to take our hearts to the Lord, broken by the carelessness of others, broken by our own bad decisions, hearts full of impatience, pride, doubt, fear, and distrust and allow Jesus to enter in and restore our wholeness.  We pray for those we have wounded through our spiritual blindness, and for those who have wounded us in the state of their own wretchedness.  The gift of spiritual sight leads to a heart that overflows with generosity.  And in practicing generosity we experience the joy and abundant generosity of God toward us.

Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. (Luke 6:38)

The more we give ourselves away, the more we are filled with God by God. It is then that we can live in God’s Kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.”  Advent marks a new liturgical year, a time for us to start over and begin anew. This Advent season is calling us to spiritual sight so that we can repent and receive the greatest gift God wants to give us at Christmas – Himself.

Thanks to my friend Pam Delgado for this photo.