As a parish priest, I have had the privilege of ministering to patients on their deathbeds, which has taught me many essential lessons about the meanings of life, illness, separation, and death. Sometimes, people have invited me to participate in consultations with patients' families and hospital teams when doctors explain patients' conditions to them. These conferences are often challenging for everyone involved, as grief, despair, sadness, confusion, and commotion take over. While we wish that no one would have to endure such anguish, accepting grief is a natural part of life that can help us cope with loss and change.

The role of our eyes is vital to our daily lives as they capture light and meaningful information from our surroundings and transmit it to our brains for processing and appropriate reactions. In today's gospel, the physical eyes are depicted as Jesus heals a blind man by applying mud to his eyes.