Open My Eyes

Written by Katie Larin on Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Open my eyes, Lord. Help me to see your face. Open my eyes, Lord. Help me to see.

I am currently in the Dominican Republic, serving on Alternative Spring Break. This week’s theme is “Now is the time to see.” I could not think of a better theme for this week of service. As I encounter new people and communities, people who live lives drastically different from my own, I must remember to see first.

Have you ever looked at someone and thought that you had them figured out? I’m definitely guilty of this. I’ll look at classmates in a lecture hall, friends on campus, or even families at St. Mary’s, and project my own thoughts on them. Sometimes I’ll think, “That person has the perfect life, or that couple must have the most amazing marriage – they would never have trouble or flaws.” Other times, I’ll do the opposite. I’ll assume that the person sitting on the street suffers from addiction and therefore needs help from others, or that the driver who just cut me off is innately spiteful.

In these times, I’m looking, but I’m not seeing. And I’m definitely not taking the time to understand.

To truly open my eyes to the reality of others, I must see as Jesus sees. And in order to see as Jesus sees, I need to ask for the grace to love as Jesus loves. Only in love can we begin to understand another’s experiences. Only in love can we see each person as a child of our Father.

As I have prayed about the trip, one song in particular has continued to play in my head: “Open My Eyes,” from the Voices as One book. I invite you to listen to this song, and think about the ways your eyes could be opened, ways you could love like Jesus and see God’s face, in places we’d never known.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo6gZAUuQ3E]

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Katie Larin
Katie is a senior at the University of Michigan, majoring in Organizational Studies. She is the current Outreach and Engagement Intern, and plans to do a year of service after graduation.
Email: kqlarin@umich.edu