July 12, 2004

"The Gift of Understanding"

When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, Elizabeth could have sung her praises in many areas.  But it's very interesting that Elizabeth said, "Blest is she who trusted that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled" (Lk 1: 45).  She didn't say blessed are you because you are the Mother of God; she said blessed are you because you have believed.  Had Mary not believed, she wouldn't have become the Mother of God.  There wouldn't have been that "yes."  The Spirit was speaking within Elizabeth.  The prophet, John the Baptist, leapt in her womb.   Blessed is she because she believed.  Blessed means to be happy, to be joyful, to be blessed by God.

We see Our Lady's tremendous faith all throughout the Gospels.  One of the places that we especially see her faith is at the tomb on Easter morning.  I don't know if any of you have made the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.  But we live in Jesuit country, and we give the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in our retreat work all the time.  One of the things that St. Ignatius recommended was to meditate on Our Lady on Easter morning-because she wasn't there at the tomb.  When I was making the Exercises for the first time, I made this meditation.  I asked Our Lady, "Where were you?  You weren't there."  She indicated to me that she wasn't there because she believed.  She didn't have to be there.  She knew He wouldn't be there.  She knew that the tomb was empty.  She believed Him when He said He would rise on the third day.  So Mary was this woman of great faith, and she so wants to share this great gift of faith with each of us. 

The gift of the Holy Spirit  of understanding develops this gift of faith within us.  It's a special gift that we received at Confirmation.  It's a gift that helps us to see.  When you say to someone, "Oh, now I understand."  What we are really saying is, "Now, I see.  I see what you're saying.  I see what you mean.  I see your point."  This great gift of understanding is this seeing of the heart. 

After the Resurrection, two of the disciples were walking along the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35)and they were pretty dejected because of the Crucifixion.  All of a sudden, this stranger walks beside them.  They didn't recognize that it was Jesus.  He was risen.  He was in the Spirit somehow.  But He gave them the gift of understanding.  Scripture says that He opened their minds to all the Scriptures that pertained to Him so that they too could believe (Lk 24:13-32).   This is what happens to us in prayer.  He can open our minds to this gift so that we, too ,can truly believe.  Understanding will deepen our faith.

The blind beggar knew he was blind.  Sometimes we don't know we're blind.  Sometimes we don't know that we can't see or understand.  And so it's good to meditate on that particular passage because Jesus, who saw the blind man, didn't reach out and heal him immediately.   This is very interesting.  Instead, Jesus stopped and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mk 10:51)  The first time I read that, I thought, "Lord, isn't it obvious what he wants?  This man wants to see."  But Jesus didn't assume.  He wants it to come from us.  So in our prayer, many times He will say, "What is it?  What do you want Me to do for you?"  When we're in the presence of the Lord, we take that very seriously.  Our request does not become casual, nor was the request of the beggar casual.  He said, "Lord, I want to see."  We want to see.  From time to time we pray, "I want to see this truth.  I want to see into this mystery.  I want to see the Father's plan for me that He knows so well."  Remember that beautiful Scripture from Jeremiah?  "I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare not for your woe!  Plans to give you a future full of hope" ( Jer 29: 11).  And yet we have to say, "But I don't know.  I need to see."  So this beautiful gift of understanding is given so that we, too, may see and believe.

Excerpt from "Wings of Light, Manila, Philippines, 2001.