Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (9: 27-31) in which Jesus asks two blind men who seek healing, “Do you believe that I can do this?” They said, “Sir, we do.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “Your faith deserves it so let it be done for you”.

Fr Paul says immediately after the Sermon on the Mount Matthew gives us a collection of ten stories of the wonderful healings of Jesus: Jesus is showing that the Kingdom is to bring an end to all sorrow and suffering. These cures are the first beginnings of fulfilment of the promises given by Isaiah in the first reading.

All the stress is on belief in Jesus, for their faith is twice emphasised. The same is true of the story of the centurion at Capernaum and the cure of the woman with a haemorrhage. The wondrous cures demand at least a preliminary commitment in faith to Jesus, and then the faith is enhanced by the healing.

Fr Paul says the same growth in faith is required of us today; a mere open mind is not enough, but we must firmly put our trust in Jesus.