JESUS, LIGHT OF THE WORLD

IV SUNDAY OF LENT - Jn 9:1-41

After the encounter with the Samaritan woman, we are presented with the encounter and the healing of the man who was born blind.

Jesus had a special consideration for people who were seen as outsiders, sinners and outcast. The Samaritan woman was not only a sinner living in an irregular marriage situation, but also a foreigner and a pagan. The blind man was seen as cursed, suffering punishment for his own sin or the sin of his parents.

Who to blame for sickness?

As with the Samaritan woman, Jesus took the initiative. Being with his disciples, he saw him and went to him. With the prevalent understanding of sickness in their minds, the disciples asked Jesus about the cause of that blindness: Who is at fault? Who or what should be blamed?

Nowadays, we find similar questions being asked, whenever someone gets sick. Is sickness the result of sin? Is it a curse to be handicapped? Or is it a sign of evil spirits possession? Or maybe is it witchcraft? Indeed many people consider any kind of sickness to be caused by the presence of the devil or by the action of a witch who is empowered with evil powers.

Sickness reveals our own mortality and is proof of the weakness of our bodies, which are affected by the most varied things that surround us. And many times sickness is the result of our own actions or the fruit of our carelessness about our bodies, but instead of taking responsibility for ourselves, we blame others, keeping at the same time a sense of self-righteousness.

Jesus made it clear that the blindness of that man had nothing to do with sin or with evils spirits; instead, "this came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him" (Jn 9:3). And Jesus used the occasion to present himself as "the Light of the world" (Jn 9:5).

We are like blind people in search of light

The man who was born blind stands for all of us who are blind and live in darkness. We are lost and searching for a way out, not well sure if there will be light at the end of the tunnel. The prophet Isaiah expressed well this situation when he wrote:

"We hope for light, but there is darkness;

for brightness, but we live in the night.

 We grope along a wall like the blind;

we grope like those without eyes.

We stumble at noon as though it were twilight;

we are like the dead among those who are healthy" (Is 59:9-10)

Jesus is the light of the world

Jesus brings an answer to our quest, because he is the Light that shines in the darkness of our world. This light is a free gift; however, to receive it we must not only accept it but also cooperate with it. Our hearts and our minds must be open to the light and coming to the light we must rejoice in it, by walking in the light and leaving behind the deeds of darkness as a nightmare from which we woke up to find the peace that reassures our hearts.

In his healing ministry, most of the times, Jesus simply used the power of his word, commanding the sickness to leave and the person to be restore to health. But in this case, Jesus "spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes", and then he ordered the blind man to go and "wash in the pool of Siloam (which means Sent)" (Jn 9:6).

Jesus did not ask for his faith, and the man did not know anything about Jesus, but he was ordered to cooperate in his healing, and he obeyed, washing himself in the waters of the Sent One (Jesus Christ).

Faithful to the truth, he gave witness to Jesus

After encountering Jesus and being healed by him, the life of the blind man became very hard. As we go on reading the passage, we find the story of a courageous and bold man who stood fearlessly for the truth. He was subjected to several interrogations, being insulted and threatened. His own parents were afraid of speaking the truth and left him to his own fate. In the end, he became truly and outcast, expelled from the synagogue and rejected by everybody. In spite of that, he was growing in faith, suffering for Jesus and giving witness to the one, whom he did not know well yet.

Having received eyesight, he received faith, and then strengthened only by faith he went through a series of trials, until finally the fulness of light shone for him, when Jesus openly revealed himself to him and he could say worshipping Jesus "I believe, Lord" (Jn 9:38).

THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

III SUNDAY OF LENT - Jn 4:5-42

In this Sunday's gospel, we read Jn 4:5-42, which presents Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. As we hear the passage being read, it is good that we look at both sides and scrutinise the attitudes both of Jesus and of the Samaritan woman.

I am thirsty!

Looking at Jesus, we see him tired and thirsty, seated by the well, waiting for someone to come by to draw water. When the Samaritan woman appeared, he made a very simple request: Give me water.

Jesus presented himself as someone in need, and he asked for something very easy to give, water. While he asked water for the body to quench his thirst, he was at the same time ready to offer water for the soul, the living water.

We must remember that, according to the same gospel of John, on the cross Jesus said: "I am thirsty" (Jn 19:28). But then he was given vinegar instead of water.

As the dialogue proceeded, it seems that Jesus forgot about the water, as if his thirst was quenched or as if it was only a pretext to initiate a conversation. Jesus was thirsty for an encounter, to reveal himself and to lead the Samaritan to faith and to salvation. He forgot about the water from the well and refused the food brought by his disciples. There is only one food that may satisfy him: to do his Father's will; and there is only one drink that may inebriate him: open hearts ready to welcome him.

Give me this water

Looking at the woman, we see her surprised at Jesus' request and very suspicious about the stranger who dared to talk to her and ask for water. In Jesus, she saw nothing more than a man and a Jew, who might constitute a threat to her. In spite of that, she dared to speak, expressing her surprise and her fears. By answering Jesus, she allowed the conversation to go on.

Immediately, Jesus changed the subject of the conversation, passing from the water of the well to the water of life, and presenting himself as the giver of that water. Even without understanding well the meaning of Jesus' offer, she did not waste time and asked: Give me this water! Like her, we must make the same prayer: Lord, give us this water, so that we may live, because we are thirsty with the thirst of life that can be quenched only by the Holy Spirit that Jesus will bestow on us.

Confronted by Jesus, she recognises her sinfulness

And then Jesus confronted her, leading her to face the mess of her life and become aware of her own sin. Whenever we encounter Jesus, this encounter leads us to be confronted with our own sinfulness. She recognised her sin, and her sincerity and truthfulness made it possible for Jesus to reveal himself to her as the Messiah.

Certainly, it was not by chance that the Gospel of John presents Jesus revealing himself to an outsider, that is to a woman who was more or less an outcast. As a Samaritan, she was as good as a gentile. You may notice that she went alone to the well; maybe she had no friends, being despised even by her neighbours, who most probably were afraid that she might steal their husbands. What else can you expect from a woman who had been married five times and now was just living in a relationship, maybe in concubinage!

By revealing himself to an outsider, Jesus wanted to show that nobody is excluded, except those who exclude themselves.

Taking others to Jesus

After the revelation, she went to proclaim the Good-News to her village, bringing people to Jesus; and then they asked him to stay with them. Jesus consented and stayed with them two days, which seems so little, but it was enough for them to recognise Jesus as the Saviour of the world. In the journey to Emmaus, the two disciples also asked Jesus to stay with them (Lk 24:29). This request made it possible for them to recognise Jesus as the risen Lord.

Jesus leads us in our journey of faith as he did with the Samaritan woman. He can transform our lives as he transformed hers. And then we must give witness to Jesus as she did.

LIKE ABRAHAM, WE ARE ON THE MOVE

II SUNDAY OF LENT - Gn 12:1-4

The pre-history of salvation, described in Gn 1-11, comes to an end with the appearance of Abraham. With him, a new chapter in the history of the relationship between God and man is open. 

Abraham came from Ur, an important city in Mesopotamia, where the moon-god was worshiped. Accompanying his father, he left his homeland with the intention of going to the land of Canaan, but when they arrived in Haran, in the highway from the Persian gulf to the West (and to Palestine), they settled there. Haran, which means road, was also an important centre of the moon-god worship.

After his father's death, Abraham underwent a deep religious experience that change his life. Deep in his heart, he heard God's voice telling him: Leave! Go! "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house" (Gn 12:1). It was an order and not a simple suggestion or invitation. We speak of the call of Abraham, but it was much more than a call. He was ordered to set out for a foreign land, leaving behind his country, his home and his family. Where was he going? "To the land that I will show you". He was ordered to move into the unknown, guided only by God's hand.

To his call, God added a promise: the promise of his blessings and continuous protection, the promise of being the founding father of a great nation, and the promise of becoming the source of blessings for all nations. It was a nice promise to hear, but in concrete terms it sounded very little realistic, easily giving place to the suspicion that it would never be fulfilled. It was a promise for a still very far away time. It was like a dream.

But "Abram went, as the Lord had told him" (Gn 12:4). Abraham did not ignore God's command; instead, he decided to obey, doing what he was told to do.

The ancestor of all those who believe

Paul called Abraham "the ancestor of all who believe" (Ro 4:11), so that "those who believe are the descendants of Abraham" (Gal 3:7). Abraham is a man of faith and the prototype of all those who live by faith. His trust, his confidence and his readiness to surrender and to obey. He put himself in God's hands, even when he was surrounded by darkness and could not see what would become of him.

With Abraham, we have the emergence of faith as a new reality in the relationship with God. However, if we look attentively, we discover that in this move of Abraham in search of a new home, God is the main actor and the decisive factor. He is the one in command, guiding Abraham through all his steps, even when he seems not to be present.

Faith implies this awareness of God's presence and action, and implies the acceptance of his guidance and the obedience to his command. And faith implies the readiness to leave everything behind and to move into the unknown, being always a foreigner in search of a homeland that only God can show us.

Living by faith, we are that great nation of which Abraham is the founding father. Like him, we are on the move, looking forward to the fulfilment of the Promise.

WHICH WAY FOR A NEW SOCIETY?

I SUNDAY OF LENT - Mt 4:1-11

We start the first week of Lent reflecting upon the temptations undergone by Jesus in the desert.

In our reading of the Gospels, it is always good to learn from the Christians of the first centuries. In the Philokalia, a collection of spiritual writings from the Orthodox Church (which I got from my friend Fr. Horácio Rossas) I got the reference of Philokalia, I found this reflection on the temptations:

The temptations that Jesus rejected

"Of the demons opposing us in the practice of the ascetic life, there are three groups who fight in the front line:

those entrusted with the appetites of gluttony, those who suggest avaricious thoughts, and those who incite us to seek the esteem of men. All the other demons follow behind and in their turn attack those already wounded by the first three groups. For one does not fall into the power of the demon of unchastity, unless one has first fallen because of gluttony: nor is one's anger aroused unless one is fighting for food or material possessions or the esteem of men. And one does not escape the demon of dejection, unless one no longer experiences suffering when deprived of these things. Nor will one escape pride, the first offspring of the devil, unless one has banished avarice, the root of all evil, since poverty makes a man humble, according to Solomon (cf. Prov. 10:4. LXX). In short, no one can fall into the power of any demon, unless he has been wounded by those of the front line. That is why the devil suggested these three thoughts to the Savior: first he exhorted Him “to turn stones into bread; then he promised Him the whole world, if Christ would fall down and worship him: and thirdly he said that, if our Lord would listen to him. He would be glorified and suffer nothing in falling from the pinnacle of the temple. But our Lord, having shown Himself superior to these temptations, commanded the devil to 'get behind Him'. In this way He teaches us that it is not possible to drive away the devil, unless we scornfully reject these three thoughts (cf Matt. 4:1-10).”

(Excerpt From: St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth. “Philokalia - The Complete Text.)

This is the understanding of those who decided to follow Jesus Christ and to be guided by his way of life.

The Devil’s proposals for a new society

However, at the same time, I remembered how Dostoyevsky depicts the ideology that guides our modern society. I finished reading The Brothers Karamazov two weeks ago and in it we find the poem of The Grand Inquisitor, where we are told that Jesus came back and was found among the poor, the oppressed and the suffering bringing comfort, compassion and love. He was arrested and confronted by the Grand Inquisitor, who blamed Jesus for the dire situation of the world, due to his refusal of the great propositions presented to him in the desert by the "powerful and all-wise spirit".

During his time of search and reflection in the desert, the Devil presented Jesus with three propositions for a manifesto for his messianic work. Those propositions for a new society are the basis of the project accepted and pursued by many; they are the ideas that to a great extent have guided our modern world.

The Grand Inquisitor accuses Jesus of having rejected the proposals that would have changed the world by answering man's continuous search for bread (welfare), glory and self-affirmation. According to him, Jesus refusal of the Devil's way only brought "Unrest, Confusion, Misery".

“There are three Powers, three unique Forces upon earth, capable of conquering for ever by charming the conscience of these weak rebels — men — for their own good; and these Forces are: Miracle, Mystery and Authority.” And these powers were offered to Jesus, who rejected them straight away, without giving them the slightest consideration. 

"In these three offers we find, blended into one and foretold to us, the complete subsequent history of man; we are shown three images, so to say, uniting in them all the future axiomatic, insoluble problems and contradictions of human nature, the world over.”

“Decide then thyself.' sternly proceeded the Inquisitor, 'which of ye twain was right: Thou who didst reject, or he who offered? Remember the subtle meaning of question the first, which runs thus: Wouldst Thou go into the world empty-handed?”

A society that rejects Christ’s choice

Nowadays, we have a society that has rejected Christ's wisdom and Christ's choice, and accepted the values proposed by the Devil, creating our own gods and satisfying our own craving for miracles, for merriment and for fame, even if the miracles are fake, the merriment is emptiness and the fame is a passing shadow. "When all the gods themselves have disappeared, for then men will prostrate themselves before and worship some idea".

Jesus put all his trust in God and affirmed God's supremacy over all. When we reject him, we bow down before false gods that transform us into their slaves.

IN LENT, LET US ACCOMPANY JESUS IN HIS JOURNEY TO THE CALVARY

ASH WEDNESDAY: Is 58:1-12

Early in the morning, I received an sms from Sr. Faustina Fube (from Lubengele Parish) wishing me "a fruitful lenten season, as you begin your 40 days with our Lord Jesus". Indeed, these forty days of Lent are a very special time for us to accompany Jesus and learn from him in his journey of faithfulness that led him to the cross.

For forty years, the people of Israel wandered in the desert, always quarrelling with God, rebelling against him again and again. They proved themselves unfaithful, continuously putting God to the test. In his forty days in the desert, Jesus went through a similar experience, but with a complete different attitude. Jesus proved himself to be the faithful servant, who is always ready to do his Father's will.

Lent is a special time for us to turn back to the Lord. It is a time for reconciliation, for prayer and for fasting. We may complain as the people of Israel did. They were never satisfied, because they always looked for their own pleasure.

Today, in the office of readings, we were given the following passage, taken from the prophet Isaiah:

"Why have we fasted, and you see it not?

Why have we humbled ourselves, 

and you take no knowledge of it?’

Behold, in the day of your fast 

you seek your own pleasure,

 and oppress all your workers.

 Behold, you fast only 

to quarrel and to fight

and to hit with a wicked fist.

Fasting like yours this day

will not make your voice to be heard on high.

 Is such the fast that I choose,

 a day for a person to humble himself?

Is it to bow down his head like a reed,

and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?

Will you call this a fast,

and a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I choose:

 to loose the bonds of wickedness,

to undo the straps of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover him,

 and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" 

(Is 58:3-7)