Our four-year-old daughter, who we love dearly, has many talents: sleeping through the night is not one of them. She recently stumbled out of her bed to use the bathroom. As she turned on the lights she suddenly screamed, “My eyes! My eyes! I can’t see!”

She hadn’t yet realized, tearfully begging for mercy as we walked her back to her room, that our eyes take time to adjust when we move from darkness to light.  

Perhaps the blind men from the Gospel felt equally startled with their new eyes, or how we feel when something unexpected happens. Adjusting takes time, patience and faith.

As we enter this season of hope, I’m reminded of Ignatius’ spiritual experience on the Cardoner river where he too found his eyes opened. Ignatius realized, as we might pray with today, that God always gives gifts, even if they’re tough to see.

—Jordan Skarr, works at the Midwest province office in Chicago, assisting with programming for pastoral ministries.