4th Sunday of Lent A
March 26, 2017.
Gospel: John 9: 1-41.
Personal Reflection:
In this reading, what word or phrase stands out? Why?
Are you attracted to something in the reading? Why?
Do you feel any resistance? Why?
Journaling: (Use your journal.)
Commentary:
On these Sundays of Lent, following the Gospel of John, the liturgy allows us to go through a true baptismal path: last Sunday, Jesus promised the Samaritan woman the gift of "living water"; today, healing the blind from birth He reveals himself as the "Light of the World"; next Sunday, resurrecting his friend Lazarus, he will present himself as "the Resurrection and the Life." Water, light, life: they are symbols of Baptism, a sacrament that "immerses" believers in the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ, freeing them from the slavery of sin and giving them eternal life.
Jesus reveals to the cured blind man that he has come into the world for a judgment, to separate the curable blind from those who will not allow healing, for they boast of being healthy. In fact, in man, there is a strong temptation to build a system of ideological security: even religion can become an element of this system, as well as atheism, or secularism, but in this way one is blinded by one's selfishness.
Dear brothers, let us allow ourselves to be healed by Jesus, who wants to give us the light of God! Let us confess our blindness, our myopia, and all that the Bible calls the "great sin" (Cf. Psalm 18, 14): pride. And to this end may the most holy Mary help us, who, by giving life to Christ in the flesh, gave the world the true Light. Benedict XVI
Life Connections:
- From your personal reflection today, how have you connected to this Gospel passage? How is it good news for you?
- Are there times when you cannot see evident signs of the presence of God in your life because you find yourself to beblinder than the man blind from birth? Ponder it.
- Has there been a time when you went from spiritual blindness to sight? What caused the healing?