Our family was unable to afford comic books growing up, so I was introduced to them only in college, where two classmates had extensive collections. Superman, the Fantastic Four, the X-men - really, all the comic book characters with the exception of Captain America and Conan the Barbarian - had secret powers. And they would use these powers for good. (Except the bad guys, of course, who would use those powers for evil) Secret powers were a good thing.

If you or I could have a secret power, what would it be? Or what would you ask for? the ability to fly? or in a different vein, to heal a broken heart? to create world peace at the drop of a hat? to end terrorism in a blink? As I mused on this, it dawned on me - I do have a secret power. Like Cyclops in the X-men, it has to do with my eyes.

You see, I can make people invisible. I can make them invisible. It's a little funny, though, this power. It only works for me. I am the only one who can't see them. They are right there. Others can see them. They can see themselves. But I can't see them. Sometimes I control the effect. Other times, it just happens.

Unfortunately, I am not the only one with this power. I had a conversation with a woman back at one of my former parishes. Her biggest complaint is that her pastor does not 'see her' when he is greeting people at parish functions. "It is as if I don't exist..." Sure, he will look at me, and even say hello - but there is nothing more EVER to that conversation. I don't think he even knows my name..." Making people invisible. A scary secret power.

The rich man in today's gospel had that power as well. He didn't see Lazarus. Sure, he knew he was there. He would have had to step over him on his way in and out of the house. He even knew his name - as we discover, when he asks Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to comfort him. But he never SAW Lazarus. He had made him invisible - so he wouldn't feel guilty. So he wouldn't have to deal with a situation that would confront his eating comfortably, his dressing in wealth and finery.

We know that power, don't we? When we pass up the student whose name we forget, but who is in our class and is a bit goofy and is now sitting alone in the Nosh because no one sees them. We know that in a roommate whom has angered us by any one of a countless number of things --and we grow tired from being healthy and confronting them with what we need and what we can tolerate and what we are willing to budge on - so we ignore the problem and ignore them until it blows up in our face... Sometimes we even make ourselves invisible- because we don't trust that people will want to hear what we have to say - so we hold back - and our friends never get a glimpse into the things which we hold sacred in our hearts...

And there is a danger before our country in our rightful need for Justice that we will overlook the message that the terrorists have brought right to our door. Thousands of people are dying each day because of the policies of our country or because of our benign neglect or because we are unwilling to see beyond our own interest to help folks who would love the scraps that fall from our tables. Don't get me wrong - we do a ton of good as a country. But there is so much that we make invisible - because it hurts too much to see it all. It costs too much to take it all in.

Secret powers. I thought they were great when I was first introduced to comic books. Until I realized that I too have powers, and that I too, have used them to the detriment of the kingdom. I encourage you this week to examine the 'powers that you exercise' as you relate to people. Perhaps, like Superman, you can see beyond appearances to the heart of what people struggle with. Use that power this week as you listen to folks with all your strength. Perhaps, like me, you have made people invisible. Learn to see them this week by having lunch with them or a conversation... But know that you have great power within you - the power to nurture life and love, the power to return love for hatred, light in the place of darkness, hope in a world full of despair. It is the power that comes from the one who sees us all so clearly and loves us all into life- Jesus whom we receive at this table.