Enlightening The Blind

Audierunt quia Jesus transiret. Transitus ille mysterium Incarnationis significat. Dum enim natus est, passus est, resurrexit, ascendit, tunc quasi transitum fecit. Hoc mysterium uterque populus audivit praedicatione apostolorum, et cum audisset, volens illuminari, per fidem clamavit: Domine, fili David. Deum et hominem recognoscunt: cum dicunt, Domine, Deum; cum dicunt, fili David, hominem confitentur. Turba autem, etc. Turba ista sunt carnalia desideria, quae bonum solent impedire affectum; vel etiam persecutores, qui ad fidem venire volentibus, minis vel blanditiis solent obsistere. At illi pulsando, orando, magis instant, donec strepitum turbae vincerent, dicentes: Domine, miserere. Et stetit Jesus, etc. Transiens audit, stans illuminat, quia per humilitatem misertus est quando transiit, et per verbi aeternitatem quod nunquam movetur, lumen reddit. Et ait illis: Quid vultis ut faciam vobis? Quid vellet caecus non ignorabat; sed peti vult hoc quid nos petere et se concedere praenoscit. Importune namque ad orationem nos admonet, et tamen dicit: Scit namque Pater vester quid opus sit vobis, antequam petatis eum: ad hoc ergo requirit ut petatur. Dicunt illi: Domine, ut aperiantur, etc. Caeci a Domino non aurum, sed lucem quaerunt. Parvipendentes extra lucem aliquid quaerere, quia, etsi habere caeci quidlibet possent, sine luce non possent videre quidquam. Imitemur ergo eos, non falsas divitias, non terrena dona, non fugitivos honores a Domino, sed lucem quaeramus: Misertus autem eorum Jesus, tetigit oculos eorum. Quia suo lumine corda eorum illuminavit, et confestim viderunt, quia crediderunt et illuminati sunt, et secuti sunt eum, quia ad imitandum sese paraverunt. Videt et sequitur, qui bonum quod intelligit operatur. Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput XVIII Source: Migne PL 162.1422d-1423d

They heard that Jesus was passing by.... 1 And that passing by signifies the mystery of the Incarnation. For when He was born and suffered and ascended, then it was as a passing by. This is the mystery that the people heard from the preaching of the Apostles, and when they heard they wished to be enlightened, and through faith they called out: 'Lord, son of David...' They recognised God and man. When they said, 'Lord,' they confessed God, and when they said, 'son of David'  they confessed man. But a crowd... This crowd is carnal desires, which is accustomed to obstruct the state of goodness, or it is even persecutors, who with threats or persuasion are accustomed to impede those who wish to come to the faith. But they push forward, they beseech, they press on, until they overcome the clamour of the crowd, saying: 'Lord, have mercy.' And Jesus stopped... Passing by He hears, standing He enlightens, because through humility He is merciful when He passes, and through the eternity of the Word which never changes, He gives light. And He said to them: What do you want me to do? He was not ignorant of what a blind man wants, but He wishes that be sought which He foreknows will be sought and given from Him. For He exhorts us to insistent prayer, and yet He says: 'The Father knows what is needful for you before you ask Him.' 2 Because of this, then, He asks, so that they might seek. They say, 'O Lord, that our eyes might be opened.' The blind do not seek gold from the Lord, but light. They have no care for anything but light, because, even if the blind where to have something else, lacking light they would not be able to see it. Therefore let us imitate them, let us not seek false wealth, nor worldly gifts, nor transient honours from the Lord, but light. Jesus was merciful to them, and He touched their eyes, because His light illuminated their hearts, and instantly they saw, because they believed and were enlightened. And then they followed Him, because they prepared themselves for imitation. And he sees and he follows, who understands the good that he should do. Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 18 1 Mt 20.30 2 Mt 6.8