April 3, 2011 Fourth Sunday of Lent

[이 안드레아]

2011년 4월 3일 사순 제4주일

제1독서

사무엘기 상. 16,1ㄱㄹㅁㅂ.6-7.10-13ㄴ
그 무렵 1 주님께서 사무엘에게 말씀하셨다. “기름을 뿔에 채워 가지고 떠나라. 내가 너를 베들레헴 사람 이사이에게 보낸다. 내가 친히 그의 아들 가운데에서 임금이 될 사람을 하나 보아 두었다.”
6 이사이와 그의 아들들이 왔을 때 사무엘은 엘리압을 보고, ‘주님의 기름부음받은이가 바로 주님 앞에 서 있구나.’ 하고 생각하였다. 7 그러나 주님께서는 사무엘에게 말씀하셨다. “겉모습이나 키 큰 것만 보아서는 안 된다. 나는 이미 그를 배척하였다. 나는 사람들처럼 보지 않는다. 사람들은 눈에 들어오는 대로 보지만 주님은 마음을 본다.”
10 이사이가 아들 일곱을 사무엘 앞으로 지나가게 하였으나, 사무엘은 이사이에게 “이들 가운데에는 주님께서 뽑으신 이가 없소.” 하였다. 11 사무엘이 이사이에게 “아들들이 다 모인 겁니까?” 하고 묻자, 이사이는 “막내가 아직 남아 있지만, 지금 양을 치고 있습니다.” 하고 대답하였다. 사무엘이 이사이에게 말하였다. “사람을 보내 데려오시오. 그가 여기 올 때까지 우리는 식탁에 앉을 수가 없소.” 12 그래서 이사이는 사람을 보내어 그를 데려왔다. 그는 볼이 불그레하고 눈매가 아름다운 잘생긴 아이였다. 주님께서 “바로 이 아이다. 일어나 이 아이에게 기름을 부어라.” 하고 말씀하셨다.
13 사무엘은 기름이 담긴 뿔을 들고 형들 한가운데에서 그에게 기름을 부었다. 그러자 주님의 영이 다윗에게 들이닥쳐 그날부터 줄곧 그에게 머물렀다.

제2독서

 에페소서. 5,8-14
형제 여러분, 8 여러분은 한때 어둠이었지만 지금은 주님 안에 있는 빛입니다. 빛의 자녀답게 살아가십시오. 9 빛의 열매는 모든 선과 의로움과 진실입니다. 10 무엇이 주님 마음에 드는 것인지 가려내십시오. 11 열매를 맺지 못하는 어둠의 일에 가담하지 말고 오히려 그것을 밖으로 드러내십시오. 12 사실 그들이 은밀히 저지르는 일들은 말하기조차 부끄러운 것입니다. 13 밖으로 드러나는 것은 모두 빛으로 밝혀집니다. 14 밝혀진 것은 모두 빛입니다. 그래서 이런 말씀이 있습니다.
“잠자는 사람아, 깨어나라. 죽은 이들 가운데에서 일어나라. 그리스도께서 너를 비추어 주시리라.”

복음

요한 9,1-41<또는 9,1.6-9.13-17.34-38>.
그때에 1 예수님께서 길을 가시다가 태어나면서부터 눈먼 사람을 보셨다. <2 제자들이 예수님께 물었다. “스승님, 누가 죄를 지었기에 저이가 눈먼 사람으로 태어났습니까? 저 사람입니까, 그의 부모입니까?”
3 예수님께서 대답하셨다. “저 사람이 죄를 지은 것도 아니고 그 부모가 죄를 지은 것도 아니다. 하느님의 일이 저 사람에게서 드러나려고 그리된 것이다. 4 나를 보내신 분의 일을 우리는 낮 동안에 해야 한다. 이제 밤이 올 터인데 그때에는 아무도 일하지 못한다. 5 내가 이 세상에 있는 동안 나는 세상의 빛이다.”>
6 예수님께서는 <이렇게 말씀하시고 나서,> 땅에 침을 뱉고 그것으로 진흙을 개어 그 사람의 눈에 바르신 다음, 7 “실로암 못으로 가서 씻어라.” 하고 그에게 이르셨다. ‘실로암’은 ‘파견된 이’라고 번역되는 말이다. 그가 가서 씻고 앞을 보게 되어 돌아왔다.
8 이웃 사람들이, 그리고 그가 전에 거지였던 것을 보아 온 이들이 말하였다. “저 사람은 앉아서 구걸하던 이가 아닌가?” 9 어떤 이들은 “그 사람이오.” 하고, 또 어떤 이들은 “아니오. 그와 닮은 사람이오.” 하였다. 그 사람은 “내가 바로 그 사람입니다.” 하고 말하였다.
<10 그들이 “그러면 어떻게 눈을 뜨게 되었소?” 하고 묻자, 11 그 사람이 대답하였다. “예수님이라는 분이 진흙을 개어 내 눈에 바르신 다음, ‘실로암 못으로 가서 씻어라.’ 하고 나에게 이르셨습니다. 그래서 내가 가서 씻었더니 보게 되었습니다.” 12 그들이 “그 사람이 어디 있소?” 하고 물으니, 그가 “모르겠습니다.” 하고 대답하였다.>
13 그들은 전에 눈이 멀었던 그 사람을 바리사이들에게 데리고 갔다. 14 그런데 예수님께서 진흙을 개어 그 사람의 눈을 뜨게 해 주신 날은 안식일이었다. 15 그래서 바리사이들도 그에게 어떻게 보게 되었는지 다시 물었다. 그는 “그분이 제 눈에 진흙을 붙여 주신 다음, 제가 씻었더니 보게 되었습니다.” 하고 대답하였다.
16 바리사이들 가운데에서 몇몇은 “그는 안식일을 지키지 않으므로 하느님에게서 온 사람이 아니오.” 하고, 어떤 이들은 “죄인이 어떻게 그런 표징을 일으킬 수 있겠소?” 하여, 그들 사이에 논란이 일어났다. 17 그리하여 그들이 눈이 멀었던 이에게 다시 물었다. “그가 당신 눈을 뜨게 해 주었는데, 당신은 그를 어떻게 생각하오?” 그러자 그가 대답하였다. “그분은 예언자이십니다.”
<18 유다인들은 그가 눈이 멀었었는데 이제는 보게 되었다는 사실을 믿으려고 하지 않았다. 그리하여 앞을 볼 수 있게 된 그 사람의 부모를 불러, 19 그들에게 물었다. “이 사람이 태어날 때부터 눈이 멀었다는 당신네 아들이오? 그런데 지금은 어떻게 보게 되었소?” 20 그의 부모가 대답하였다. “이 아이가 우리 아들이라는 것과 태어날 때부터 눈이 멀었다는 것은 우리가 압니다. 21 그러나 지금 어떻게 해서 보게 되었는지는 모릅니다. 누가 그의 눈을 뜨게 해 주었는지도 우리는 모릅니다. 그에게 물어보십시오. 나이를 먹었으니 제 일은 스스로 이야기할 것입니다.” 22 그의 부모는 유다인들이 두려워 이렇게 말하였다. 누구든지 예수님을 메시아라고 고백하면 회당에서 내쫓기로 유다인들이 이미 합의하였기 때문이다. 23 그래서 그의 부모가 “나이를 먹었으니 그에게 물어보십시오.” 하고 말한 것이다.
24 그리하여 바리사이들은 눈이 멀었던 그 사람을 다시 불러, “하느님께 영광을 드리시오. 우리는 그자가 죄인임을 알고 있소.” 하고 말하였다. 25 그 사람이 대답하였다. “그분이 죄인인지 아닌지 저는 모릅니다. 그러나 이 한 가지, 제가 눈이 멀었는데 이제는 보게 되었다는 것은 압니다.” 26 “그가 당신에게 무엇을 하였소? 그가 어떻게 해서 당신의 눈을 뜨게 하였소?” 하고 그들이 물으니, 27 그가 대답하였다. “제가 이미 여러분에게 말씀드렸는데 여러분은 들으려고 하지 않으셨습니다. 어째서 다시 들으려고 하십니까? 여러분도 그분의 제자가 되고 싶다는 말씀입니까?”
28 그러자 그들은 그에게 욕설을 퍼부으며 말하였다. “당신은 그자의 제자지만 우리는 모세의 제자요. 29 우리는 하느님께서 모세에게 말씀하셨다는 것을 아오. 그러나 그자가 어디에서 왔는지는 우리가 알지 못하오.”
30 그 사람이 그들에게 대답하였다. “그분이 제 눈을 뜨게 해 주셨는데 여러분은 그분이 어디에서 오셨는지 모르신다니, 그것 정말 놀라운 일입니다. 31 하느님께서는 죄인들의 말을 들어 주지 않으신다는 것을 우리는 압니다. 그러나 누가 하느님을 경외하고 그분의 뜻을 실천하면, 그 사람의 말은 들어 주십니다. 32 태어날 때부터 눈이 먼 사람의 눈을 누가 뜨게 해 주었다는 말을 일찍이 들어 본 적이 없습니다. 33 그분이 하느님에게서 오지 않으셨으면 아무것도 하실 수 없었을 것입니다.”>
34 그러자 그들은 “당신은 완전히 죄 중에 태어났으면서 우리를 가르치려고 드는 것이오?” 하며, 그를 밖으로 내쫓아 버렸다.
35 그가 밖으로 내쫓겼다는 말을 들으신 예수님께서는 그를 만나시자, “너는 사람의 아들을 믿느냐?” 하고 물으셨다. 36 그 사람이 “선생님, 그분이 누구이십니까? 제가 그분을 믿을 수 있도록 말씀해 주십시오.” 하고 대답하자, 37 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다. “너는 이미 그를 보았다. 너와 말하는 사람이 바로 그다.” 38 그는 “주님, 저는 믿습니다.” 하며 예수님께 경배하였다.
<39 그때에 예수님께서 이르셨다. “나는 이 세상을 심판하러 왔다. 보지 못하는 이들은 보고, 보는 이들은 눈먼 자가 되게 하려는 것이다.” 40 예수님과 함께 있던 몇몇 바리사이가 이 말씀을 듣고 예수님께, “우리도 눈먼 자라는 말은 아니겠지요?” 하고 말하였다. 41 예수님께서 그들에게 이르셨다. “너희가 눈먼 사람이었으면 오히려 죄가 없었을 것이다. 그러나 지금 너희가 ‘우리는 잘 본다.’ 하고 있으니, 너희 죄는 그대로 남아 있다.”>

http://www.usccb.org/nab/

April 3, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Lent

Reading 1

1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a

The LORD said to Samuel:
“Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”

As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
“There—anoint him, for this is the one!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading 2

Eph 5:8-14

Brothers and sisters:
You were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;
rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention
the things done by them in secret;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore, it says:
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

Gospel

Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38

As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered,
“Neither he nor his parents sinned;
it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day.
Night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
When he had said this, he spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.

His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is, “
but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
He said, “I am.”
So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
He replied,
“The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes
and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’
So I went there and washed and was able to see.”
And they said to him, “Where is he?”
He said, “I don’t know.”

They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath.”
But others said,
“How can a sinful man do such signs?”
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
“What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”

Now the Jews did not believe
that he had been blind and gained his sight
until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.
They asked them,
“Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
How does he now see?”
His parents answered and said,
“We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
We do not know how he sees now,
nor do we know who opened his eyes.
Ask him, he is of age;
he can speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid
of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed
that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ,
he would be expelled from the synagogue.
For this reason his parents said,
“He is of age; question him.”

So a second time they called the man who had been blind
and said to him, “Give God the praise!
We know that this man is a sinner.”
He replied,
“If he is a sinner, I do not know.
One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”
So they said to him,
“What did he do to you?
How did he open your eyes?”
He answered them,
“I told you already and you did not listen.
Why do you want to hear it again?
Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
They ridiculed him and said,
“You are that man’s disciple;
we are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we do not know where this one is from.”
The man answered and said to them,
“This is what is so amazing,
that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners,
but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.
It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.
If this man were not from God,
he would not be able to do anything.”
They answered and said to him,
“You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him,
the one speaking with you is he.”
He said,
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
Then Jesus said,
“I came into this world for judgment,
so that those who do not see might see,
and those who do see might become blind.”

Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this
and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”
Jesus said to them,
“If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

http://www.staygreat.com/ 

http://www.franciscanretreats.net/  

 http://www.evangeli.net/gospel/gospel.html

 http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

PRE-PRAYERING
For those preparing to enter the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, the readings for today form the context for the second Sunday of “the Scrutinies.” The candidates for entrance are asked to, or more properly, invited to declare their personal belief in Jesus as the One Who has been sent. The community will be reminded as well to affirm their own acceptance of Jesus as Lord.

We prepare for our celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in the Eucharist, by celebrating how through Jesus we have come to see ourselves, others, all creation as wonderful gifts. Jesus has offered us a new view of life, death and resurrection as well. We have been called and chosen, not because of distinctions, achievements, family lineage, or personal attractiveness. God’s love is blind to such plastic categories.

We pray to receive more of the Light, vision, the sight, the sensitivities which Jesus came and comes to share. The problem we have is that we are so familiar with how we have negatively looked at ourselves, others, creation, God, and life itself. We pray to be unblinded and patient in our recovery process.

REFLECTION
In the chapters leading up to the chapter from which we read today in our First Reading, Saul, the king and military leader of the Jews has been unfaithful to his mission and disobedient to God’s orders. Samuel hears from God that there is to be an impeachment of the King. Saul is told of this and begs for a second chance. Samuel has heard from God exactly what “is” is and Saul is no longer “is”.

What we hear is how Samuel hears from God about a Man, Jesse of Bethlehem who has a fine group of well-bred sons. They are all assembled at a victory/thanksgiving sacrifice. Eliab is presented and Samuel eyes him up and down and finds his appearance manly and worthy of being king.

God speaks silently to Samuel about Eliab’s not being the right man for the job. God sees into the heart and Samuel is judging through the eyes only.

Jesse presents seven more sons who are similarly dismissed. Jesse is asked if there are any other sons and he replies that there is one other, the youngest and he is out in the fields tending the sheep.

When the lad arrives, who is of fine appearance as were his brothers, God prompts Samuel to anoint him. His name is David of Bethlehem who will be entrusted to tend the sheep, the people of Israel. The God who has called him will guide him and be faithful to Israel through him.

Jesus has declared Himself to be the “Light of the World”. For John’s readers, day/night light/dark and seeing/not-seeing are favorite themes. For those who are visually impaired, today’s Gospel is definitely not the text to read for comfort or healing. Mark, in 10, 46, presents a more prayerful picture of Jesus’ healing a person who is visually impaired. Instead, today’s long Gospel reading is about believing. 

In the Christian Scriptures, the word “believe” in its various forms appears 238 times, 98 of these occur in John’s Gospel. A good question, but not for this Reflection, might be about why the other three Gospels do not push belief as strongly as John. For John, believing is seeing, believing takes place in the light, in the day. So this whole chapter is somewhat of a summation of the entire Gospel.

The action begins with a miniature prologue. A man who is blind provokes the question from the apostles about the cause of the man’s condition. Did he sin himself, or did the curse of blindness fall upon him because of the sin of his parents? The question reflects the thinking that any physical deformity is a curse because of sin; God punishes when offended.

John concludes the prologue by having Jesus state boldly that it is not sin on somebody’s part, but this is a situation which will manifest the “works of God” through this man.

It is because of sin though and the darkness of our human unfaithfulness, that Jesus has come into the world as the Light. The stage now is set, there will be rising action and a graceful resolution. The blind will see, (believe) and those who see will find themselves blind (unbelievers).

There are several delightful symbols in this little play. “Work” and “light” go together. Jesus as light has come into the darkness of the world to do His thing, which is to present the Father Who sent Him and to do some deeds which will attract attention and a personal response.

Jesus spits on the ground and makes a clay eye-patch for the fellow. Clay is the human reality from which we were biblically made. Jesus sends the clay-bound sight-seeker to a pool of water by the name which means, “sent”. We have a wonderful meeting then between Jesus Who is the “One Sent” and the “clay” to whom He has been sent. Through this act of trust, the man came back, “able to see”.   

A long section of squabbling ensues among neighbors, Jewish leaders and even the man’s parents. Eventually he gets thrown out of the temple which is not an insignificant event. The temple, by the time of John’s writing this Gospel, has been torn down by the Romans as a punishment for the revolt of the Jews. John is presenting Jesus as the new place of God’s revelation. Jesus is the New Covenant who continues God’s covenantal fidelity and history. Upon being expelled, Jesus appears and begins the final act of enlightenment.

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” This is the real unblinding and central meaning of the whole reading. Here is where we join the play’s action. The man sees Jesus, because Jesus has done some “work”. Have we been un-somethinged, re-visioned, by Jesus? Like the ever-present Pharisees we might be a bit or totally blinded by what we do physically see. There is so much that we do see which causes us to doubt and be blinded to the goodness of God in this world. The Pharisees were blinded by their holding their religious traditions too tightly to their eyes; they didn’t want to see anything different, any new revelationally challenging signs. Sin for John is not doubting, but not believing in Jesus as the One Who has been sent to reveal God’s goodness.   

I suspect it would be more interesting to write about some personal experiences of seeing or not. Miracles are exciting about which to hear. Those are what we call, “Feel-Good” stories. Believing is not always a “feel-good” experience. When walking in the dark of life, bumping into the doorposts of disappointment, tripping over the unexplainable, walking down the paths of bad choices, all can cause us to curse the darkness of our human understanding. People who are visually impaired often have limited choices so they learn to receive what they are offered. This is belief then, to receive what God is offering and see the presence of Jesus when we cannot see causes or reasons. Believing is
a way of seeing, but we can be blinded by what we have to know, and demand to see.

“Brothers and sisters, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”  Eph. 5, 8

http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/ 

"For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see"

Do you want to see God? Only one thing can blind us from seeing and understanding God's wisdom, beauty, goodness, and truth, and that is sin. Sin clouds the mind in moral confusion and closes the heart to God's love and truth. Sin grows in darkness and resists the light of God's truth. In God's light we see sin for what it really is, a rejection of God and a refusal to listen to his word and obey his will. Many Jews thought that physical blindness and sickness resulted from sin. While the scriptures indicate that sin can make the body and mind sick as well as the soul, not all sickness, however is the result of sin.  Sickness can befall us for a variety of reasons. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "in everything God works for good with those who love him" (Romans 8:28).

When Jesus met a man who was blind from birth, he awakened hope in him by proclaiming that he was the light of the world. Jesus then did something quite remarkable, both to identify with this man's misery and to draw faith and confidence in him as well.  He touched the man's eyes with his own spittle mixed with dirt and bid him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. This pool was one of the landmarks of Jerusalem.  Hezekiah had a secret tunnel bored through 583 yards of solid rock in the hillside in order to bring water from the Gihon Spring, which was outside the city walls, into the city proper (2Chr.32:2-8,30; Isa.22:9-11; 2Kgs.20:20). At the Feast of Sukkoth (also known as the Festival of Tabernacles or Booths) water from this pool was brought by one of the priests to the temple with great trumpet blasts while the people recited the words of Isaiah 12:3: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."  It was poured together with wine beside the altar and ultimately flowed into the Kidron Valley. This was both a thanksgiving offering for the summer harvest and a petition that God would continue to provide water and growth for the newly planted seeds for the next harvest. It was during the Feast of Sukkoth that Jesus identified himself as the source of this life-giving water (John 7:37).

Jesus not only gave physical sight to the blind man, but spiritual vision as well.  That is why Jesus proclaimed himself the "light of the world" (John 9:4). What is the significance of this miracle at the Pool of Siloam?  It is certainly more than just a miraculous event.  It is a "sign" that points to the source of the miraculous life-giving water and light which Jesus offers through the gift and work of the Holy Spirit (John 7:38).  Do you want the Holy Spirit to give you vision and faith to walk in the light of God's love and truth?

The Pharisees were upset with Jesus' miracle on two counts.  First, he healed the blind man on the Sabbath, which they considered a serious violation of the command to rest on the Sabbath. Second, how could a sinner and a sabbath-breaker do such a marvelous work of God!  The cured man must not have really been blind at all!  This blind man was well known to many people and his parents testified under oath that he had indeed been blind since birth. Their prejudice made them blind to God's intention for the Sabbath and to Jesus' claim to be the One sent from the Father in heaven to bring freedom and light to his people.  They tried to intimidate both this cured man and his parents by threatening to exclude them from membership in the synagogue. This man was shunned by the religious authorities because he believed that Jesus was the Messiah.  John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, remarked: "The Jews (the Pharisees) cast him out of the Temple; the Lord of the Temple found him." If our witness of Jesus and his redeeming power in our lives separates us from our fellow neighbors, it nonetheless draws us nearer to Jesus himself.  Paul the Apostles warns us to avoid the darkness of sin that we might walk more clearly in the light of Christ (Ephes. 5:8-12). Do you allow any blindspots to blur your vision of what God is offering you and asking of you?

Jesus is ever ready to heal us and to free us from the darkness of sin and deception. There is no sickness, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual that the Lord Jesus does not identify with. Isaiah prophesied that the "Suffering Servant" would be bruised for our iniquities and by his stripes we would be healed (Isaiah 53:5). The Lord offers us freedom from spiritual blindness due to sin and he restores us to wholeness of body, mind, soul, and heart.  Augustine of Hippo, in his commentary on this gospel passage, remarks: "If we reflect on the meaning of this miracle, we will see that the blind man is the human race ...You already know, of course, who the "One Sent" is.  Unless he had been sent, none of us would have been freed from sin."

"Jesus, in your name the blind see, the lame walk, and the dead are raised to life.  Come into our lives and heal the wounds of our broken hearts.  Give us eyes of faith to see your glory and hearts of courage to bring you glory in all we say and do."

Psalm 23:1-6

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
2 he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil;  for you are with me;  your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;  you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;  and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. 

 http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html

 http://goodnews.ie/calendar.php

John's gospel is shot through with imagery of light and darkness.  In itself this imagery is open to being used in very facile ways, but John's use of it is complex and paradoxical.  In today's reading, the man born blind receives his physical sight, but at a deeper level he also receives spiritual sight; whereas the Pharisees who thought they had spiritual sight become increasingly spiritually blind. 

"I once was lost but now I'm found, / Was blind but now I see," says the hymn Amazing Grace.   We sense something slightly presumptuous about this; it seems rather too clear-cut.   Are you sure there is no darkness in you still?  In reality we see and don’t see.  "I believe; help my unbelief!" cried the father of the child in Mark 9:24. In the story of Saint Paul's conversion (Acts 9) the same paradox is evident.  Paul did not leap up shouting joyfully, "Now I see!"  Instead he was struck blind!  Nor was it a case of being dazzled for a moment; he remained blind for three days.   This mighty man had to be led by the hand like a child into Damascus and there he sat helpless, in darkness, for three days until someone else - a total stranger - restored his sight.  Even then he did not go about shouting, "Now I see!"  He went into the Arabian desert for three years.  And even later, when he was in full spate, he could write, "Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known" (1 Corinthians 1:12). 

Faith is knowledge, but it is dark knowledge.  Its light is not a garish light but a dim light just sufficient to guide our path in humility.  St Gregory of Nyssa (c. 332 A.D. - 395) wrote that John penetrated into the "luminous darkness," and could affirm, "No one has ever seen God" (John 1:18).  Gregory delighted in this paradoxical expression‎, "luminous darkness", and he used many similar ones: "wise folly", "sober inebriation", "stationary movement", "living death"…. Where could he have got the courage to use such expressions if not from the Gospel itself, which is full of paradox?  

To claim to have more light than one has is a great sin against the light; it cheapens it for oneself and for others.  "Now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains," Jesus told the Pharisees.  When we speak of the Faith we have to do so with humility and with respect for the darkness.  Like the blind man in today's reading we may have to be driven out of the company of those who think they see; and like Paul, led helpless by the hand along a humble path, or driven into the solitude of the desert  -  whatever it takes to rid us of our own brash light.  God alone can penetrate the darkness.  "Even darkness is not dark for you  /  And the night is as clear as the day" (Psalm 38).  

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BAPTISM AND BLINDNESS

"So the man went off and washed, and came back able to see." 뾌ohn 9:7

Three weeks from today will be Easter Sunday. On this most holy day, in every Catholic Church throughout the world, the Lord will call us to renew our baptismal promises by renouncing Satan and professing our faith in God the Father, Son, and Spirit. The Lord is not calling us to merely rerun our professions of faith from past years. He is challenging us to profess and live a stronger faith than ever before. We have had another year of living in His love. Therefore, we should know Him better, love Him more deeply, believe in Him more strongly, and be ready to profess a stronger faith this Easter.

However, many of us have let ourselves be blinded by the god of the present age (2 Cor 4:4). Although we've spent another year with the Lord, we've been blind to His constant love. We desperately need the Lord to heal our blindness. When we see the light, we'll see Jesus loving us. In the light of His love, we'll believe in Him as never before (Jn 9:38-39). Then we will be ready to celebrate the Easter Vigil, proclaim Jesus our Light and Love, renew our baptismal promises, and be "light in the Lord" (Eph 5:8).

Prayer: Father, heal me of spiritual blindness through my Lenten Confession(s).

Promise: "Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart." �1 Sm 16:7

Praise: Praise Jesus, the Living God, Who was, Who is, and Who will be forever!

 http://www.judeop.org/dailyreflections.htm

 http://biblereflection.blogspot.com/

Homily from Father James Gilhooley

Oil was delivered to a home one winter day. The father, surrounded by his kids, protested he did not order it. The driver asked, "Do you have oil?" The father said no. "Well," the driver said, "you're in luck. Even better, this oil is paid for." The driver handed over the gift card. It read, "Sent to you by a Christian." His benefactor was anonymous but well known to Jesus.

The most famous blind man in history is featured in today's Gospel. It is a play in three acts. (William Barclay) The drama opens with wonder and ends in faith.

The man formerly blind had no idea his ophthamologist was the Messiah. In the first act, he is summoned by the Grand Inquisitors. In answer to their third degree, he says in verse 11 "the man called Jesus" gave me sight. He considered the Teacher extraordinary but nothing more. He might well have applied Shakespeare's words to Jesus, "His life was gentle and the elements were so mixed in him that nature might stand up and say to all the world, 'This was a man.'" Many atheists are lifelong fans of Jesus. His is the greatest story ever told and with each telling it gets better and better. (Unknown) His life is one in an infinite trillion. But a singular man is not thereby divine.

In the second act and verse 17, the cured man takes a major step forward. He calls his benefactor a prophet. Such a person is a VIP with God. He knows what's going down and what's going on. But he's not divine.  

The curtain goes up on the final act. The once blind man is about to take Kierkegaard's gigantic leap of faith. John's miracle play is to conclude with all guns booming. The cured man has been rudely expelled from the presence of his inquisitors. They wanted to lynch him. They snorted indignantly, "Are you trying to teach us?" He was to them trash.

But the Lord of the Temple is waiting for him. He knew well that he would be kicked out of His Temple. He starts the dialogue with the question, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He responds, "Sir, tell me who He is so that I may believe." Christ's response comes as no surprise to the man. "I am He." The man declares, "Lord, I believe." Notice he does not call Him "Jesus" now nor "sir" but "Lord." Then he fell on his knees and worshipped Him. The curtain drops to this centuries old play.

The man placed his belief in the Galilean because he felt compelled to do so. His new eyes told him of His divinity. Though he had been blind, we are nowhere told that he was stupid.

The more one studies Jesus, the greater He becomes. This is not true of us. We quickly reveal our faults. Eg, we are all grossly disappointed by pedophile priests, but none of that disappointment washes over onto Christ. If it did, you would not be reading these lines nor I writing them.

This miracle tells us much about the Lord. The blind man had not asked for a cure. It was the Christ who gave it freely. He was touched by the man's condition. It did not concern the Saviour that the man did not know Him from a hole in the wall. He was repelled by the condition of the man's eyes. His blindness offended Him. He wanted him to enjoy rainbows, purple and orange sunsets, and wild flowers. If Christ had a calling card, it would read, "If in trouble, call me at 1 800 JESUS." Christ is one who keeps His heart softer than His head. (Unknown)    

And, as Jesus is on call 24/7, so does He wish us to be. He would be delighted if we followed the example of the anonymous donor who opened the homily. The benefactor has oil delivered in winter time. A Christian impulse has changed the family's life. War had been declared on poverty and this time poverty lost. What had begun as a cold winter developed into a warm one because of a Christian.

Lent is moving along. Into our ears, the Messiah whispers, "Do amaze me in the three weeks left in this Lent with your generosity to my poor. Do it without calling attention to yourself." The poor are not hard to find. The New York Times reports 20% of US children live in poverty and 47 million US workers lack a living wage.

You may say, "I give away so much already. When do I stop?" The answer is when Jesus stops giving to you. Remember poverty never takes a holiday. (Unknown)

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 Homily from Father Joseph Pellegrino
http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html

Who Can See?

I grew up in Totowa Borough, a suburb of Paterson, New Jersey, which itself is really a suburb of New York City. Like  all New Yorkers or wanna be New Yorkers from New Jersey, I grew up with the distinct attitude that people from the Northeast were “in the know”, or, simply put, the smartest people in the world. Actually, there are plenty of New Yorkers who think that intelligent life ceases west of the Hudson River, including New Jersey. There are also plenty of people in the  rest of the country that are convinced that intelligent life never came into existence east of the Hudson River. That second group just might be correct.

The concept of “being in the know” is an unfortunate attitude of many people throughout the world who are convinced that their view of something or other is the only reasonable view.  You particularly see this in politics as some people are absolutely convinced that anyone who sees things different from them have no clue about what is best for the country. So you have radio commentators on one side and editorial writers on the other side each presenting themselves up as great intellectuals, and treating those they disagree with as absolute morons.

Thankfully, the intellectual arrogance of the talk show hosts, pundits, editorial writers, and columnists does not have a tremendous effect on our world, at least, as long as the arrogant intellectuals stay within their minimal spheres of influence. However, when these people take steps into that which really matters in life, our relationship with God, then we face a horrible situation: the intellectually arrogant belittle  people of faith. After all, they are convinced they are “in the know.”  In reality, they are blind. They are blind to the Presence of God in their own lives and in the world. They cannot see God standing right in front of them. And the common everyday woman or man, the elderly lady who devotes her life to prayer, the young family who makes  tremendous sacrifices to provide a Catholic home for their children, the Teen who stays away from the party everyone is talking about because he or she knows there is going to be abundant amounts of alcohol and drugs there, those people the arrogant call blind, well, those are really the people who have sight.

The drama of John 9, the Man Born Blind, is the story of a simple man open to God’s presence and arrogant men who cannot see the Christ standing right before them. The blind man is the one with sight. The Pharisees, those great  illuminaries and self-proclaimed intellectuals, are blind.

Little has changed in the world. You go to work, to school, and the so-called intellectuals belittle you because you are a person of faith. But they cannot answer the questions that matter: What is life really about?  What is the purpose for all of our struggles?  Can lasting happiness ever be found?  Does it exist?  Where is it?  These self styled intellectuals cannot answer these questions. But we can. Life is about God who gave us life. We exist to love, honor and serve Him. With God as our center, every aspect of our life has meaning and purpose. His love is experienced in the love of our families, of our marriages, of our Church family. We experience His Love in each other. There is so much more to life than the physical, the here and now. The spiritual is real. Happiness does exist. It comes from union with God. No one can take this happiness from us. Even those who are persecuted for their faith, people like St. Maximilian Kolbe starving to death in the concentration camp, or Ignatius of Antioch waiting for the lions to be released in the Roman Coliseum or each one of us when we are mocked for our Catholic lifestyle, we still remain at peace with the Lord. We possess the happiness that lasts. We pray everyday for the strength and courage to keep us from sacrificing this happiness, His Happiness, to the empty promises of those who do not know God.

We cannot allow others to put us down for our faith. We  know what matters in life. We need to shake off the concept that we are  insignificant, members of the mindless masses. Like the blind man who refused to deny what he saw, what he experienced, we need to be passionate witnesses to Jesus Christ. 

Remember the story of the man born blind, and don’t be concerned with the snide comments and attacks of others. Instead pray for them to be delivered from their blindness and thank God that with Christ we can see.

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Homily from Father Phil Bloom
http://www.geocities.com/seapadre_1999/

Bottom line: This Sunday we ask Jesus for sight: to see those near us - their heart, not just their appearance - and above all to see the reality of who Jesus is.

Today we heard about a blind man who - through Jesus - sees. We are like that man: we need Jesus in order to see.

Our modern world has a particular form of blindness. We have microscopes to see things very small and telescopes to see distant objects, but often we do not see what is closest to us. Recently a priest classmate had a health crisis that almost cost his life. I learned about it late and felt bad that I had not been there to support him. I did try to make up as best I could, but the incident made aware of an irony: I knew about Charlie Sheen's troubles, but about my friend, I knew nothing.

We live in a strange times. We know more about celebrities than we do about next door neighbors - or even those we call "family" and "friends." So many things distract us from what really matters. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: "I think the world today is upside down. ... We have no time for our children, we have no time for each other; there is no time to enjoy each other. In the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world."

This Sunday we ask Jesus to heal our blindness, particularly our failure to see those close to us. Help us to see our own children, our family members, our fellow parishioners. As the first reading today says, not just the outward appearances, but the heart.

It is terrible to not see those close to us, but there is an even worse form of blindness: the failure to see Jesus. The man born blind has a lot to teach us. If you listened attentively to today's Gospel, you notice that he went through a progression.

At first he only sees "the man called Jesus." He knows Jesus as a fellow human. When they press him, however, he makes this declaration: "He is a prophet." Then he has a moment alone with Jesus. He hears this question: "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" In the Old Testament the Son of Man was someone who would come to set things right by judging the nations. (Dn 7:13-14) The man born blind responds with a profound profession of faith, "I do believe, Lord."

In the Hebrew Scriptures the title, "Lord," belonged to God himself. In today's first reading that the word LORD appears six times - in capital letters. When the man born blind calls Jesus, "Lord," he is making the ultimate profession of faith. Jesus himself said, "Before Abraham came to be, I AM." (Jn 8:58) The man born blind saw what others did not: That Jesus is God. As we say in the Creed, "God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in being with the Father."

So the man born blind makes this progression: from man to prophet to Son of Man to Lord, that is, the true God.

This Sunday we ask Jesus for sight: to see those near us - their heart, not just their appearance - and above all to see the reality of who Jesus is. Amen.

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Homily from Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe,Pa
http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org/homilies/index.lasso

Gospel Summary

Jesus, in order that the works of God might be made visible, gives sight to a man who had been blind from birth. Members of the community then proceed to debate the meaning of the various aspects of the event: why Jesus put clay on the man's eyes and sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam; whether the man was really the blind man they had known; the significance of Jesus' making the clay with his saliva on the Sabbath; the fear of the man's parents to acknowledge that Jesus was from God; the expulsion of the man who had been blind because he insisted that Jesus really was from God.

The passage ends with the judgment of Jesus that the man who was born blind now truly sees; while those who claim to see have closed their eyes to the works of God made visible before their eyes.

Life Implications
John uses the remembrance of Jesus' cure of a blind man to develop a universal, theological meaning of the event for us, the hearers of his gospel. We are aware that Jesus is the source of division among people today, just as he was in his own Jewish community during his lifetime and decades later at the time of the gospel's composition.

There are numerous actors in the gospel narrative with whom we might identify and then explore the implications for our own life situations.

We can identify with Jesus, the light which shines in the darkness. Christians who have accepted this divine light in turn must allow the light of Christ to shine through them so that the works of God might be made visible. The narrative seems to affirm that the blind man who has received the light of Christ, himself becomes a light shining in the darkness. His simple, to-the-point responses suggest that they might have been spoken by Jesus in similar circumstances. He, like Jesus, has become a source of division.

One might readily identify with the beggar, blind from birth. Here is a person who seeks the truth and has the courage to act upon it even though suffering is the result. The narrative illustrates the cost of discipleship in a world of darkness, which tries to overcome the light (Jn 1:5).

Most Christians would not think of identifying with those who refused to see the light and thus become hardened in their blindness. Jesus, however, also warns us that those who say "We see" may really be blind to the presence of God in their midst. Consider this sentence from the First Letter of John to his fellow Christians: Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (1:11). A good prayer for this Sunday might be: "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief" (Mk 9:24).

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Homily from Father Cusick
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The tragedy greater than all others is to be blind and to say that we can see. There are so many areas where we are perilously blind to the ways in which our actions, words, thoughts and desires have jeopardized our eternal salvation. Our redemption in Christ must begin with an honest assessment of our fallen nature, with our intellects darkened and our wills weakened, wounded by the effects of the sin of Adam and Eve.
We dread to hear our Lord speak these words in judgment of us: " 'But we see', you say, and your sin remains." Self-righteousness and hypocritical posturing are abhorrent to God, who favors us when we embrace our true place before him as Our Lady does, one of humility and gratitude, of praise and thanksgiving. This is accomplished by heeding the Lord's call for repentance through authentic conversion.

Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, (Cf. Am 5:24; Isa 1:17.) by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance. (Cf. Lk 9:23.) (CCC 1435)

The Catechism illuminates the teaching of our Lord.

Jesus scandalized the Pharisees by eating with tax collectors and sinners as familiarly as with themselves. (Lk 5:30) Against those among them 'who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others," Jesus affirmed: 'I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'(Lk 18:9) He went further by proclaiming before the Pharisees that, since sin is universal, those who pretend not to need salvation are blind to themselves. (Jn 8:33-36; 9:40-41) (CCC 588)

Our Lenten journey toward Easter cannot be complete without the fullness of God's mercy granted in sacramental Confession. Since all are with sin, all are in need of repentance. In Lent we must let the scales fall from our eyes, to see ourselves as we truly are before our thrice-holy God. Whether or not we are conscious of mortal sin, Confession always grants the graces of Christ to the repentant sinner.

I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we "meet Christ in the liturgy"---Father Cusick

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Homily from Father Alex McAllister SDS
http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/

In the Gospel of John we often find stories which are not to be found in the Synoptic Gospels. And even though we know that John’s Gospel is considered to have been written later than the others we should not give in to the temptation to think that this old man John has made the story up.

All of the Gospel writers were confronted with such a great mass of written and oral material about the public ministry of Jesus that they had to be very selective in what they included. What the Evangelists have done is to take the incidents that they regard to be the most important and included them in their Gospel and so ensure that they would be handed down from generation to generation.

You will have noticed that Matthew, Mark and Luke have many similar accounts of specific incidents from the life of Jesus. It is considered by scholars that they used a common source which is now lost; a sort of first draft of the life of Jesus written or put together at an earlier date.

But John does not seem to use this document and his Gospel differs markedly from the others. He takes the long view and his Gospel is the outcome of considered reflection over very many years. It is not that he made up those incidents that are not recorded in the other Gospels but rather that he sees the significance of particular miracles that the Synoptic writers passed over.

In fact, John stresses only seven miracles or ‘signs’ as he calls them. And each of these miracles has an important lesson to teach us. The healing presented to us in today’s liturgy is that of the man born blind which takes place at the Pool of Siloam. And the lesson we are being taught is that besides our ordinary sight there is another kind of sight, that of seeing the truth of the Gospel.

This particular miracle is about light and darkness. The man had lived in darkness all his life but through healing he comes into the light in two senses: literally, since his sight was restored; and spiritually, since he was given the gift of faith. Of course, it is this gift of faith which concerns us most of all.

After the healing there follows a series of interrogations during which the scepticism of the Pharisees only increases while the faith of the blind man develops and strengthens.

First he claims that Jesus is a prophet, then he states that he is from God and finally when faced with Jesus once more he declares his faith in him as the Son of Man and kneels down and worships him.

They say that people who have lost, or never had, one human faculty often over develop one or more of the others. This man was born blind but he is certainly not dumb. He is extremely fluent in his speech and, despite a presumed lack of education, he is clever enough to trounce the supposedly learned Pharisees and expose their plan to entrap Jesus.

He is also quite bold and forthright in his speech. Nowhere else in the Gospels do you read of a poor person speaking to those in authority in the way that this blind man does. It is clear to him that Jesus is good and truthful and that these supposedly religious men are nothing but hypocrites. They pretend to look for the truth but when he gives it to them they cannot accept it. At first they insult him and finally chase him away.

Despite his boldness towards the Pharisees this blind man is revealed to be quite humble and not without self-knowledge. Three times he confesses his ignorance: once to the people, once to the Pharisees and finally once to Jesus. As we have seen, each of these confessions of ignorance is followed by a profession of faith.

We are being subtly told that it is only when we honestly admit our ignorance that faith can find its way into our lives.

After being driven away by the Pharisees our blind man eventually encounters Jesus once again. But actually it is Jesus who seeks him out and who then asks him if he believes in the Son of Man. The blind man says, ‘Tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus replies, ‘You are looking at him.’

Notice the wonderful use of the senses in this brief but extremely significant exchange. This man who has been blind all his life and who has had to rely heavily on speech and hearing says, ‘Tell me who he is.’ Jesus who has given him sight tells invites him to use it and says, ‘You are looking at him.’

In the early history of the Church this miracle was thought of very highly. It was often depicted in the paintings on the walls of the Catacombs and the three-fold interrogation was taken up and used in the Baptismal Liturgy where adults were put through three scrutinies. During the last of these this very Gospel was read to the Catechumens finishing at the line, Yes, Lord I do believe.

This magnificent story tells us that light triumphs over darkness, truth over untruth, faith over disbelief. It also tells us that while physical blindness is certainly a terrible affliction how much worse an affliction is that of spiritual blindness.

This miracle tells us that admission of ignorance can open the door to knowledge of God. It tells us that the poor and the afflicted frequently have far more insight than the religious elite. It tells us that Christ the Light of the World wants to enlighten the lives of each one of us.

In our language we speak of sight and insight. We see by ordinary physical sight the things around us, even though to call this ordinary could hardly be correct since sight is in itself one of the most extraordinary aspects of creation.

But with insight we see at quite another level, we come to a realisation, we make connections that are not immediately apparent. There is a moment when the real truth of something dawns on us, the moment of insight.

But if we go one step deeper even than so-called ‘ordinary’ insight we recognise the moment of coming to faith. I am certain that almost everyone here has experienced such a moment which is something much deeper even than insight.

It is the moment when we came to realise that God exists, that he is the author and sustainer of all creation, that Jesus is his Son and our Saviour.

And that the only appropriate thing for us to in the face of this realisation is to do just what that blind man did: kneel down and worship him.