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_{30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 29, 2006}         

This past week I read a magazine article written by a retired physician, Dr. Fred C. Collier.  Fred was a medical student in the Army Specialized Training Corps in 1945, when World War II ended.  He was from a Kansas family that didn't have the kind of money he needed to complete medical school on his own.  And so when he mustered out of the Army, he had no idea how he’d ever finish med school, if, indeed, he'd ever finish at all. 

Then one day he happened to pick up a copy of a magazine in a barber shop.  One of the articles talked about the kindness and compassion of Eleanor Roosevelt, whose husband, President Franklin Roosevelt, had died a few months before.  That article planted a seed in Fred’s mind.  He went to the local library and, with the help of the librarian, found Mrs. Roosevelt's home address. 

Then he sat down and composed a letter telling her about his plight.  He wrote it and rewrote it until he had it exactly the way he wanted it.  When he put the letter in an envelope and dropped it in the mail box, even his young wife wondered if it was worth the time and postage he'd spent on it.  To Fred's amazement, Mrs. Roosevelt agreed to meet him.  When the meeting ended, she promised to help. 

In the months and years ahead, Fred got checks through Mrs. Roosevelt from a variety of sources, including her own personal checks.  Fred, in turn, kept her informed of his progress and sent her copies of all his term papers.  Her secretary said later that she always read them with great interest. 

When Fred finally finished medical school, he told Mrs. Roosevelt that he didn't know how he would ever be able to repay her.  She said that repayment was neither necessary nor desirable.  Then she added, "I will be adequately repaid if, when you are financially secure someday, you will help out someone else who is truly deserving as you were." 

Fred's story has a lot in common with the story of the blind man in today’s gospel.  Like the blind man, he had a problem that he could not handle by himself.  Like the blind man, he turned to someone outside himself.  And like the blind man, Fred was helped beyond his wildest dream. 

The story of Fred and Mrs. Roosevelt and the story of Jesus and the blind man illustrate an important point.  There are times when all of us need help, and we must turn to other people or to God for that help.  First, let's consider turning to other people for that help, just as Fred turned to Mrs. Roosevelt.

A young priest was teaching in an inner-city high school in Chicago.  The school's budget had no room for things like classroom decoration.  One day, when the priest was doing some painting in the room, one of the students offered to help.  That student ended up spending over 40 hours helping the young priest.  After the room was fully redecorated, the priest called the boy's father and asked him what gift he could get the boy to show him his appreciation.  The father replied, "Don't get my son anything.  Give him the honor of having done something out of the goodness of his heart for you and for his school.  That is the greatest gift you can give him." 

There are many people like that father and his son in the world.  They are more than willing to help others.  And they will do it out of the goodness of their heart...just as Mrs. Roosevelt did and just as the young high school student did.  Hopefully, all of us would do the same if asked. 

This brings us to our second point:  turning to God for help.  There are times in our lives when we can't help ourselves and when other people can't help us either.  At times like these, we must turn to God for help, just as the blind man turned to Jesus for help.   

The model of how we should seek God's help is Jesus himself.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus turned to his Father for help, praying this same prayer three times:  "Father, all things are possible to you.  Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will." (Mk 14:36)  Jesus presented his needs to his Father, saying, "All things are possible to you."  But then he added, "Not what I will but what you will."  And God helped him in his time of need.  God did not do this by taking away his suffering.  Rather, God gave him the strength to bear it.  And that’s often how God helps us, too.  God does not always answer our prayers the way we had in mind.  But God does answer them in a way that is often more appropriate. 

And so today's gospel reminds us that there are times in our life when we must turn to others and to God for help, just as Fred and the blind man had to do.  And if we do this prayerfully, they will help us.  And they will help us in ways more beautiful than we ever dreamed of! 

I want to close with a prayer you may have heard before.  It was found in the pocket of an unknown Confederate soldier killed in battle.  It perfectly illustrates how God always answers our prayers, but in ways we never dreamed possible. 

I asked for health, that I might do greater things;

        I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy;

        I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;

        I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;

        I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. 

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among all men most richly blessed.