Fourth Sunday in Lent
Intro: Jesus is the Light of the world. Today we ask Him to pour His light into the darkness of our hearts and minds, so that we may carry that light to all with whom we come into contact.
Readings: God instructs the prophet Samuel to choose the youngest and most unlikely of Jesse's sons, David, and anoint him as king, showing that God's ways are different from ours.
Paul agrees with the Ephesians that much of human behaviour is dark and depressing. But he reminds them that they are changed because they are now children of the light, and Christ will fill them with a light which will overcome the darkness of sin.
Samuel 16: 1, 6-7, 10-13;
Ephesians 5: 8-14;
John 9: 1-41;
Light is the theme which connects today's readings - not just the light of our eyes or of the sun, but the light of understanding. The Pharisees were the supreme religious authority. They pronounced on everything; their word was law, and they were certain within themselves that God was on their side. So if anyone rocked the boat or disturbed the peace, they'd be down on them very quickly, like a ton of bricks.
But today, there's a double problem for them: Jesus not only healed a sinner ... but He did so on the Sabbath! Even worse, He then sent this obvious sinner off to the pool which was the source of water used in Temple worship. Therefore, His power couldn't possibly have come from God!
The Gospel story begins with the disciples trying to come to terms with who is to blame for the man's blindness. In Jesus' time, physical or mental impairment was the result of sin, either personal or parental. Today, Jesus sweeps that perception aside and declares that the man's blindness would be used to show God's glory.
Imagine how excited the man must have been. Once he's healed, he not only begins to see with his eyes, but with the eyes of his mind and soul too: he deduces that, as in any good syllogism, if only God can works miracles, and this man has worked a miracle, then ... it followed ... On the other hand, the minds of the Pharisees are closed; they'd already made up their minds and decided that this simpleton couldn't possibly be anything but a scoundrel or a huckster selling snake oil!
We have a headstart on the man born blind, because we already know Jesus and His true identity. He heals our inability to see. How? Our discipleship can still be hampered by spiritual blindness. We have to ask the Lord to open our eyes to those areas of our lives which stunt our spiritual growth and knowledge.
Maybe we're selfish, prejudiced, hypocritical, lacking compassion, understanding or patience, but we don't always see that, and so we remain unable to worship the Lord as we should. None of us is good at recognising our personal faults, but, ask us to name our friends' faults, and we're off and running like a greyhound after a rabbit, with a list the length of our arm, with no bother!
Today's Gospel should give us tremendous encouragement because it's a reminder that our spiritual journey is a process always directed towards recognising God more closely. But it's a gradual process, and as we progress along the way, we gain evermore insight into ourselves and into the Lord.
If we engage with it seriously and sincerely, the Lord will remove our lack of vision too, and then, one day, we shall see Him face to face. As St. Paul tells us, "Wake up from your sleep, rise from the death of sin, and Christ will shine on you." We pray that Jesus the Lord, the Light of the world, will dispel the darkness of our own minds and hearts!
Intercessions
God the Father has called us out of darkness into His own wonderful light. Let's now pray that the way we lead our lives may bring the light of Christ to those around us too:-
1. For the Church. Through Her preaching of the word, may She continue to demonstrate the power of Your love and compassion, and bring the light of Christ to all who are seeking the truth - Lord, hear us.
2. Inspire our political leaders with an urgent sense of their responsibility for those who hunger and thirst for justice, but who are denied their human rights - Lord, hear us.
3. For all those who are struggling with their faith. Illuminate their hearts and minds with the light of Your grace - Lord, hear us.
4. For the work which S.C.I.A.F. does in witnessing to Your love in a practical way. May we never become indifferent or hardened to the cry of the poor and the needy - Lord, hear us.
5. Lift the sadness of death and bereavement by the hope of everlasting life, as we pray for Catherine McDaid & Josephine McCormack who have died recently; and for William McGinley, Jim Campbell, Chris & Greta Dunne, whose anniversaries occur about this time - Lord, hear us.
Lord, pour the light of Your grace into our hearts and minds, so that we may bring healing to those whose minds remain dark and disillusioned.