IV SUNDAY OF LENT - John 9:1-41
Through the gospel of Jesus, the liturgy goes on presenting the great themes in the preparation of the catechumen for the baptism. Last Sunday, with the Samaritan woman, we asked for the living water. In this Sunday, we are called to become aware of our blindness and then be confident that Jesus will open our eyes for us to see the light. Then, next week, we will be called to accept Jesus as the source of life.
“As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.” That man represents our own blindness, that is the blindness of God’s people. It is as if we were born blind and are unable to see. Always aware of his surroundings, Jesus was the first one to see the blind man. Then the apostles, thinking like the majority of people, gave voice to their suspicion that this physical handicap was the result of sin, be it of his parents or of himself. Jesus put aside that way of thinking, saying: "This has nothing to do with his or his parents' sins”. In fact, this was an occasion "for the works of God to manifest in him". And Jesus is the one who does the works of the Father. And then Jesus “spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man” and told him to “go and wash in the Pool of Siloam”. We may think that Jesus acted as a traditional healer, but we should remember that in the gospel of John every detail is full of meaning. Jesus’ action brings to mind the text from Genesis about the creation of man: “the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Gn 2:7). Jesus, as the Word (the Logos), through whom everything was created, made a paste from the soil (the dust of the ground) and put it over the eyes of the blind, telling him to go and wash. Passing from darkness into light, it is as if Jesus created a new man, a man who is able to see the light, to recognise the Messiah and to kneel before him in adoration. The healing of the blind man let us realise that the encounter with Christ makes it possible to move from darkness to light and from blindness to vision.
The healing - the being created anew - made it possible for the blind man to walk along the path of faith. As we read the passage, we can notice the steps of this journey. Immediately after his healing, the blind man realised that he had received a great gift from God. However, he had not seen yet the face of the one who healed him. Seeing him, people were surprised and wanted to know how he had been healed and who had done it. At each question, as he tried to answer, he took a step forward in his journey of faith. To the question about the healer, he had a name, Jesus. He did not know anything else beyond this simple truth: a “man called Jesus” had given him sight. Then the Pharisees came to question him and, answering them, he affirms that Jesus is a prophet. But the Pharisees would not accept the miracle and went on adding question upon question, in an attempt to confuse the man and to silence him. Their insistence and their utter refusal to accept the truth led the blind man to recognise that Jesus comes from God and does the works of God. He would not lie to please those who looked down upon him and he paid for his boldness and courage, being expelled from the synagogue. Before meeting Jesus face to face, he was already being persecuted because of Jesus. And it was then that Jesus manifested himself to him as the Messiah and he professed his faith: "The man fell down before Jesus and exclaimed:" I believe, Lord “.
Let us ask the Lord to give us light and gives the strength and the courage to recognise him as Saviour and to be witnesses to his work of salvation.
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
a psalm (23) of trust and confidence
in these times of fear because of the pandemic covid-19 (coronavirus)
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
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