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We do not have the text of St. Thomas’ homilies; however, we do have some outlines. Here is one that helps us in our Lenten journey. Thomas, and most preachers in the Middle Ages, always used Scripture passages to back up what they were saying. Reading and thinking about just one sentence below can lead us to many insights. He is preaching on Luke 18:35: “A certain blind man sat by the wayside.”

In the moral sense: the blind man is understood as a sinner – “They shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord.” Zephaniah 1:17  As the blind does not see bodily, so the sinner does  not see spiritually.

1 – There are 7 causes that hinder the blind, which represent the 7 deadly, or capital, sins which produce spiritual blindness.
– A swollen face is like pride: St. Augustine said, “My face is swollen so greatly, that it does not allow me to see.”
– A darkness in the air is like envy: the envious are spoken of as blind, “Their own malice blinded them.” Wisdom 2:21
– A derangement of the eyes is like anger: “My eye is consumed with grief.” Psalm 31:9
– Dust or anything that falls into the eye is like avarice: St. Augustine said, dust is like temporal things, “I wandered after temporal things and I was blinded.”
– No one can see who closes his eyes, this is a weakening from slothfulness: which is not opening one’s intellectual eyes to behold  spiritual good. Boethius says, “The wicked accustom their eyes to darkness, they turn away from the light of truth.”
– Too much fluids around the eyes is like gluttony: “Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine.” Proverbs 23:29 Too much alcohol deadens the spiritual and bodily eyes.
– Little spots before the eyes is like lust: St. Augustine wrote, “Small cloudy spots … and they darkened my heart that the sincerity of love could not be distinguished from the darkness of lust.”

2 – There are 7 things that produce mental illumination. Spiritual sight consists also of 7 graces.
– Faith – “Receive your sight: your faith has saved you.” Luke 18:42
– Humility – “For judgment I came into the world, that those who see might not see.” John 9:39
– Trials – “Gall of the fish is good for anointing the eyes.” Tobit 6:9
– Love of neighbor – “Eye ointment that you may see.” Revelation 10:18
– Abundant tears – “He went his way and washed and saw.” John 9:7
– Fervent prayer – “They cried out, \’Have mercy on us, Son of David… Jesus had compassion on them, touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight.” John 9:10
– Reverent hearing or reading of Holy Scripture: “On that day shall the deaf hear the words of the Book, and the eyes of the blind shall see.\  Isaiah 29:18

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, a time of penance, reparation for our sins and  participation in the Paschal Mystery (life, suffering, death, resurrection) of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
It is a graced time when our Faith becomes very Incarnational – tangible, physical. It is a time when we put into special practice the three great acts of religion going back 3,000 years in our Judeo-Christian Faith tradition. Those acts are —

Unfortunately, many people today have walked away from this rich experience of community. Perhaps you might invite a friend or family member to join you for one of the special Lenten Masses, Stations of the Cross, or other activities at your Church. Without faith, people become lost and isolated. This is an anointed time in which Catholics, and all believers in Jesus Christ, around the world make an extra effort to open themselves to God and to grow in His Spirit and His Grace.

On Sunday, our Birthday-Sister cooked dinner and treated us to some “Southern comfort-food” – her delicious sweet potatoes. Can you find the various ingredients? It\’s simple: sweet potatoes, cinnamon, honey and pineapple.

After dinner, two of our Sisters who live in the Infirmary wanted to take a walk out to the cemetery. Even though the sun was bright and warm, the air and wind were nippy and chilly. Our Infirmarian bundled them up  and helped them on their way. A little bird told Sister-Photographer what was taking place. So she caught up with them as they prepared to return to their warm and cozy rooms.

Sister loves those little “solar” toys that move in the light. She has flowers, bees, and the cutest koala bear surfer. She is wonderfully alert, fun loving and creative. Sister Mary Sybillina is our last living founding Sister from the Dominican Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, MI.