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From: Luke 10:21-24

Jesus Gives Thanks

[21] In that same hour He (Jesus) rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and
said, "I thank Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that thou hast
hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them
to babes; yea, Father, for such was Thy gracious will. [22] All
things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows who
the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and
any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."

[23] Then turning to the disciples He said privately, "Blessed are the
eyes which see what you see! [24] For I tell you that many prophets
and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear
what you hear, and did not hear it."

Commentary:

21. This passage of the Gospel is usually called our Lord's "hymn of
joy" and is also found in St. Matthew (11:25-27). It is one of those
moments when Jesus rejoices to see humble people understanding and
accepting the word of God.

Our Lord also reveals one of the effects of humility--spiritual
childhood. For example, in another passage He says: "Truly, I say to
you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the
Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3). But spiritual childhood does not
involve weakness, softness or ignorance: "I have often meditated on
this life of spiritual childhood, which is not incompatible with
fortitude, because it demands a strong will, proven maturity, an open
and firm character [...]. To become children we must renounce our
pride and self-sufficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by
ourselves. We must realize that we need grace, and the help of God our
Father to find our way and keep it. To be little, you have to abandon
yourself as children do, believe as children, beg as children beg"
(J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 10 and 143).

22. "This statement is a wonderful help to our faith," St. Ambrose
comments, "because when you read 'all' you realize that Christ is
all-powerful, that He is not inferior to the Father, or less perfect
than He; when you read 'have been delivered to me', you confess that
Christ is the Son, to whom everything belongs by right of being one in
substance [with the Father] and not by grace of gift" ("Expositio
Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.").

Here we see Christ as almighty Lord and God, consubstantial with the
Father, and the only one capable of revealing who the Father is. At
the same time, we can recognize the divine nature of Jesus only if the
Father gives us the grace of faith--as He did to St. Peter (cf. Matthew
16:17).

23-24. Obviously, seeing Jesus with one's own eyes was a wonderful
thing for people who believed in him. However, our Lord will say to
Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John
20:29). St. Peter, for his part, tells us: "Without having seen Him
you love Him; though you do not see Him you believe in Him and rejoice
with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you
obtain the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.