Rome wasn’t built in a day, we often say. And neither, as a matter of fact, are the saints of God.
We see this hinted at in today’s gospel. Jesus touched a blind man to restore his sight, but his first attempt was only partly successful. The man could see, but his vision was blurry; people looked like “walking trees.” It was only after Jesus touched him a second time that his sight was fully restored.
What happenned here? Did Jesus need a “do over” in order to get it right? Not at all. Instead, this story is meant to remind us that it takes time to become the saints Jesus wants us to be. To see the way Jesus wanted him to see, Jesus had to touch the blind man twice. For us to see the way Jesus wants us to see, he’ll need to touch us many, many more times than that.
When it comes to sainthood, you and I are works in progress. If we ever think the work is complete, we’d better think twice! There’s always much more to be done. We need patience with ourselves; we need patience with others, too.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. 3,000 years later, it’s still under construction! And “pardon our dust,” so are we. But that’s okay: Our Lord was a carpenter. He knows how to finish the job.
Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/nab/021611.shtml