In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus heals the sight of the man born blind. Part of that miracle was the man's instruction to wash his eyes with water. In this beautiful extract from 'Christ is Alive', Pope Francis makes the point that we can only see clearly through eyes that have been cleansed by tears.
‘Perhaps “those of us who have a reasonably comfortable life don’t know how to weep. Some realities in life are only seen with eyes cleansed by tears. I would like each of you to ask yourself this question: Can I weep? Can I weep when I see a child who is starving, on drugs or on the street, homeless, abandoned, mistreated or exploited as a slave by society? Or is my weeping only the self-centred whining of those who cry because they want something else? Try to learn to weep for all those young people less fortunate than yourselves. Weeping is also an expression of mercy and compassion. If tears do not come, ask the Lord to give you the grace to weep for the sufferings of others. Once you can weep, then you will be able to help others from the heart’.
Pope Francis, Christus Vivit, 76.