In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 29:18-19)
Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24)
St Ephrem the Syrian reflecting on blindness (physical and spiritual) and on Christ healing us writes:
“Great is the gift which is cast before our blind eyes:
for even though we all have a pair of eyes each,
few are those who have perceived that gift,
[who are aware of] what it is and from whom it comes.
Have mercy, Lord, on the blind, for all they can see is gold!
O Jesus who opened the eyes of Bartimaeus,
You opened his eyes that had become blind against his will;
open, Lord, the eyes that of our own will
we have rendered blind; thus shall Your grace abound.
The mud [that You made then], Lord,
Tells us that You are the Son of our Maker.
(Select Poems, p. 109)
Fraternized 