In the Gospel healing story, we see how despite the earnest cry for mercy by the two blind men, Jesus did not stop on the way to heal them. He seemed to be testing their faith and perseverance by waiting till He reached the house. So the elements of 'faith' is strongly stressed here. By addressing Jesus as 'Son of David' the blind men had confessed their faith in Jesus. Again with their 'Yes Lord' they re-affirmed their faith. With such faith Jesus responded by removing their blindness. Therefore, faith in Jesus is a pre-requisite for receiving healing.

The first reading echoes the Gospel message wherein Prophet Isaiah said, 'ˇKthe deaf will hear the words of a book; the eyes of the blind will seeˇK' The reverse of the existing realities will take place if we have faith in Jesus.

Let us be challenged by today's readings to examine our Christian responses to the realities around us especially the cries of the poor, marginalized and exploited in our society. In what ways can we be in solidarity with these brethren who are deprived of even the basic human needs like shelter, water, food, health? In this context, are we concerned with our global realities like the privatization of water and health in our lives?