By Fr. Glenn Jones:
As I was driving along south Coors Boulevard in Albuquerque the other day, among the many drifters and homeless along that stretch of road there was a lovely young woman near a bus stop in the characteristic “fentanyl fold” position: bent at the waist with her head about the same level of her thighs, puzzlingly not falling over. This is, A.I. tells me, “because fentanyl is a powerful central nervous system depressant that causes a simultaneous loss of consciousness and muscle control. Unlike other opioids that might cause a user to fully collapse, fentanyl’s extreme potency can “freeze” a person mid-motion … while core muscles relax, fentanyl can cause a … tonic contractions in other muscle groups, which can lock the body into a rigid, bent position.”
Such a tragic sight, this young woman—really more an older girl than a young woman—already possibly locked in a nefarious cycle of addiction. So much potential … possibly gone forever unless she finds an avenue out. Yet tragically, viewing news reports of drug addiction in American cities, one sees that hers is hardly an isolated case. One need only look up YouTube videos of Albuquerque drug use to see that our girl is hardly an isolated case in our own area.
I was thinking of this poor girl while reviewing the Catholic Mass readings for this Sunday (March 15), which include St. Paul’s: “Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness…” (Ephesians 5:11). She, like innumerable other young people, were likely drawn into drug use and eventual addiction tempted by curiosity, thrill seeking, bad circumstance alleviation or simply succumbing to the peer pressure of which youth is so vulnerable. Christians—and often the addicts themselves—wish we could take them back in a time before their first venture into drug use and convince them of St. Paul’s: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit… You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But, often tragically, they spiral into an ever-worsening murk of hopelessness and helplessness … victimized by profiteers in human misery.
The Gospel reading of the day also seemed apropos in considering this state of affairs. Reading that account of the blind man healed by Jesus in John 9-41, the Christian can’t help but see the parallel with this poor young woman, and with all who fall into seemingly insurmountable troubles. Recounting that story briefly, Jesus heals a man born blind, and though the very evidence of that miracle is before them, the religious authorities refuse to believe the truth of the event. It is something beyond their experience and certainly beyond their own ability, so it simply cannot really have happened!, they hold. And so they certainly aren’t going to give credence to this so-called healer!! And yet the one who IS healed realizes the truth, and falls down in thanksgiving and reverence.
Similarly, over 2000 years many in hard situations in life have refused to give credence to testimony of those who find Christ, and disbelieve the joy-filled and remarkable witness of that these believers. “It can’t be! It’s beyond my experience so it cannot possibly have happened! It’s all a scam, or delusion!”… or some other escape hatch to which they resort to refute the peace-filled Christian who stands before them, often seizing upon scattered examples of hypocrisy and deceit that do undeniably occur within Christian circles. But do you refuse to use banks become a few tellers embezzle, or avoid all doctors because a few malpractice, or disbelieve all scientists because a few falsify?
And … what about the blind legions throughout history whose eyes were opened and found life’s peace through the Gospel? Through Christ?
“Oh, but happiness is in wealth, in fame, in beauty, in popularity!!”, the world tells us. But a day rarely passes without some story of a celebrity or wealthy person committing suicide (who would have ever thought Robin Williams, or Naomi Judd, or Marilyn Monroe—all immensely popular and wealthy?) Or the misery of so many celebrities and the “Who’s who” of society, seeking love vainly in “things”, multiple relationships, thrill-seeking … refusing to venture to the proven One who opens the eyes of the blind so that any may finally see. Regardless of all those supposedly nirvana-producing conditions above, no one is immune to sickness, despair, sorrow.
Of course, even the best Christian’s life is not always peaches and cream. But in following the faith and the Gospel ardently, one finds peace of conscience, peace in relationships, peace in life and, finally, peace even in the natural death that eventually and inevitably arrives.
The blind man in that Gospel account above could have just scoffed and ambled away from Jesus, refusing to permit the healing gift. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. If he had done so, what would have happened but that he simply would have remained blind? So, what was there to lose … except darkness?
Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.