UNDERGRADUATE

THE EYES OF CHRIST
Ryan Martire*
Department of Catholic Studies
Introduction
“You can count on five fingers ‘You-did-it to-Me.’” The
great Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the
Missionaries of Charity, put this saying at the core of
her being. Her simple words are derived from those of
Jesus Christ:
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed
me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me. 1
Are we not just humans of flesh and blood; atoms,
chemical make-up, highly intelligent animals, a blend of
earthly matter? To see life beyond humanity in another…
“Impossible!” many would say. I experienced otherwise in
Calcutta with the Missionaries of Charity.
Through these beautiful souls, the words of Jesus, which
Mother Teresa clung so tightly too, resonated deep within
my being: “I Thirst.” It made me question, “Thirst for what?”
One thing was clear: His thirst was for much more than water.
Jesus Christ on the Cross thirsted for souls with an
unquenchable thirst. Blessed Mother Teresa wanted
nothing more than to satiate His thirst. I had the
opportunity to partake in quenching the thirst of Christ
while in India. This thirst was experienced through the
eyes of the other. The saying “The eyes are the windows to
the soul” became clear.
1: The Eyes of Christ
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound,
your whole body will be filled with light. 2 ”
Working with the poorest of the poor in India shook me to
the core. The dying and destitute persons of India showed
me a life beyond chemical composition. They revealed to
me that the heart is for much more than pumping blood,
the hands are for much more than completing tasks, and
the eyes are for much more than sensual delight.
The downcast of India showed me a universal longing
within every human heart; a particular desire which seems
to be universal. This longing pierced directly through the
physical. This longing: a thirst for the infinite.
* This essay was prepared for a Catholic Studies independent study course
under the direction of Michael Budde, PhD, last summer. The course was
in conjunction with a mission trip Ryan Martire took to Calcutta, India,
where he worked with the Missionaries of Charity. This essay won the
annual Michael and Valerie Paulson Family Endowed Award in Catholic
Studies for academic year 2015-2016.
1 Matthew 25:35-40.
What is it about the eyes that intrigue? The most
significant moments in life involve looking into the eyes of
the other. Eyes are the greatest force in our relationships.
Eyes are extremely powerful. Why?
At the Home for the Dying and Destitute in Calcutta I
encountered a man named Raju. This man had the disease
hepatitis C and was projected to die in a month. The right
side of Raju’s brain was shut off, causing his right eye to be
closed shut and the right side of his body unable to move.
This beautiful soul could not speak: silent. Yet, it was Raju
who taught me the most in my short time in India. His
soul: piercing.
What was it about Raju that made me long to be with
2 Matthew 6:22.
36 CREATING KNOWLEDGE