Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Fr. Vasyl Motrichenko on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 26, 2025
Sometimes we Christians, who see, hear, and speak, may at a certain point in our lives, when we transgress the Lord’s commandment and turn away from him, become blind and mute—ceasing to see God and hear his Word. We become blind when our anger, our sins, and our passions cloud our vision. And Christ turns to us and says, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
“And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’” (Mt 9:27–28)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday we hear words from the Holy Gospel about another miracle and the mercy that Christ extended to those who asked him for help. An intriguing point is that these people followed Christ and walked behind him, not losing hope for salvation and healing. We see that those who are faithful to God—those who follow him and do his will—receive their reward, just as the two blind men did.
But how could these blind men have known that the Lord was passing by, or even known his name, if they had never seen him? They received their sight because they had faith. Jesus’ healing of these men reveals their faith, which is like a form of spiritual sight that helps a person come to know God. With our physical eyes, we perceive the world around us; with spiritual eyes, we know God through faith. And for our faith to bear good fruit, we must learn to see God in life, in the world, and in the needs of our neighbours, as Christ said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).
From the Holy Scriptures, we see the image of a God who hastens to meet humanity. Today, Christ comes to us and reveals his mercy—but not only today: at all times the Lord desires what is good, showing his love and mercy. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And Christ, having come into this world and fulfilled the will of his Heavenly Father, left humanity certain instructions, and all who follow them will receive their reward in due time.
The Lord shows us that faith should not be the result of healing, but rather that healing comes as the result of faith. The blind men regained their sight because they believed—not the other way around.
Today’s Gospel presents yet another miraculous healing. We see that Jesus healed a deaf-mute man, who had been deprived of the gift of hearing and of communicating with others. In these two miracles, it is as if the Lord God is revealing the same truth to us: he heals our ability to see and hear God. He restores our ability to communicate with God, to receive the light he directs towards us, and also to speak—to be people of the Word, who carry the Word of God within, who hear it and speak it to the world.
Sometimes we Christians, who see, hear, and speak, may at a certain point in our lives, when we transgress the Lord’s commandment and turn away from him, become blind and mute—ceasing to see God and hear his Word. We become blind when our anger, our sins, and our passions cloud our vision. And Christ turns to us and says, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
