Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/64

 (5) A closing of the eyes, for no one can see who closes his eyes, or does not wish to open them: and this is a weakening, for the weakened from slothfulness alone is not able to open his intellectual eyes to behold spiritual good. Betius says that the wicked accustom their eyes to darkness, they turn them away from the light of truth; they are like those birds who see at night, but who are blind by day. (6) The gathering round the eyes of blood and humour: this is gluttony—Prov. xxiii. 29, “ Who hath redness of eyes ? They that tarry long at the wine;" even according to the letter, the spiritual and bodily eyes are both darkened by an excess of wine. (7) The shadow of little spots, for occasionally a small spot or nubercula is formed in the eye and produces blindness: this is luxury. S. Austin said, “Small cloudy spots were coming up from the wine of carnal concupiscence, and they darkened my heart that the sincerity of love could not be distinguished from the darkness of lust.

II. On the second head it is to be noted that the spiritual sight consists also of seven graces. (1) Of faith—S. Luke xviii. 42, “ Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.” S. Austin, “Faith is the illumination of the mind, the means by which it is enlightened from the First Light to behold spiritual blessings.” (2) Of humility—S. John ix. 89, “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see these are humble who think that they see not. (3) Of present trial and bitterness—Tobit vi. 9, “ The gall is good for anointing the eyes in which there is a little white speck.” (4) Of love of one’s neighbour—Rev. x. 18, “Eye-salve, that thou mayest see.” (5) Abundance of tears: this is illustrated by he who, being born blind, went and washed in the pool of Siloam—S. John ix. 7, “ He went his way therefore and washed, and came seeing.” (6) Of fervent prayer—S. Matt. xx. 31, “ Cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight.” (7) Of the reverential hearing of Holy Scripture—Isa. xxix. 18, “In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.”