THE EYES  ARE THE WINDOWS 

TO  THE  SOUL 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 11^th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “The Eyes Are the Windows to the Soul.”

I wondered who said that, so I looked it  up on line. I found out that different commentators are not sure just who said that first - but it’s a proverb in various languages.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Some even think it’s from Jesus’ words in today’s gospel [Matthew 6: 19 -23] when here in the Sermon on the Mount he talks about  “The lamp of the body is the eye.”

Then Jesus talks about that metaphor: lights on or lights off.

At night while walking the dog or driving up the street or road where we live,  we can see windows with lights on within and where lights are out.

If we look into our own eyes we can ask  whether we are filled with light or if we’re filled with darkness. 

Looking at people's eyes, sometimes we spot sparkle; sometimes we see sadness.

We’ve all been to see an eye doctor now and then.

We enter a quiet room. The eye doctor looks deep into our eyes and sees so much in the light. She or he sees veins, cataracts developing, the pupil, and so much more.

Researchers like to point out that looking into an eye we can move deeper and deeper into our center - or another’s - just by studying the human eye.

The other day in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about going into our inner room to pray - to become quiet - silent - and see about our health: spiritual, mental, and physical.

It’s good to close our eyes in prayer - and go within. It’s good to take an honest and humble look at our within.

OTHERS

Without admitting it, we often look at the body -  the eyes, the skin, the face of the other person - to try to get a read on how they are doing today - what they are off on today.

We long for communion - holy communion - communication - connection with God - with Christ - with each other.

The eyes are the windows to the soul.

Every married couple should regularly stop and stare in the window of the other’s eyes and ask. “How’s it going on in there?

TODAY’S FIRST READING

A great way to read the scriptures is to meet a character on its pages.  Then look them in the eye. Have a conversation with that person. Thomas, Peter, James, John, who are you? What was it like to be with Jesus?

Take this woman named Athaliah in today’s first reading. Walk up to her and ask,  "Who are you? What was it like in 840 BC?" [2 Kings 11: 1-4, 9-18, 20]

Ask her: "Were you the daughter of Ahab? Was Jezebel your mother? Or were you the sister of Ahab."

 I noticed the commentators on the Bible don’t know for sure.

Ask, "Did you actually kill or give the command to kill 6 of your sons or grandsons? What were the nights and the sounds outside your doors like after that?"

What would it be like to get into the mind of someone who slaughtered someone - like the Orlando killer?

If we met Athaliah could or would we look her in the eye or would her face be down. Would we say, “I’ve never walked in your shoes. Who are you and what was it like? Did you kick yourself and say, ‘No wonder nobody ever named their daughter after me?’”

The eyes are the windows of the soul.

Writers and musicians like Jean Racine, Boccaccio, Mandelson, and Handle all came up with writings - or musical pieces - with Athaliah in mind.

We just heard the First Reading. It would certainly make a powerful movie.  

When they killed Athaliah it must have been a bloody mess. It is certainly a powerful scene in today's reading from 2nd Kings.

Gustave Doré, The Death of Athaliah

CONCLUSION: THREE GLANCES OF CHRIST

The title of this homily was, "The eyes are the windows of the soul."

In the Jesuit Exercises or the Cursillo, there is the so called  "3 glances of Jesus" exercise - where Jesus looks in the eyes of the Rich Young Man, Judas and Peter.

Check it out.

If Jesus looked in our eyes, what would he see?

Would he say that we are slowly gathering the treasures of heaven in our inner room or are we filled with decay?