In the first reading, David was the youngest son of a family of many sons. According to the custom of the time he would have been the last person to be chosen as leader. However, as the Scriptures tell us so often, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts; God’s ways are not our ways. God turns things upside down; God chooses the weak of the world to confound the strong – David, an insignificant shepherd was chosen and anointed as a leader.
Humans see and judge by appearances, but God looks into the heart and there God finds the real person.
God does not judge based on age, beauty, physical strength, social or financial position or status or religious role.
The question to us my brothers and sisters is: By what criteria do we judge others? Do we consider some people too insignificant for greatness? Do we categorize people according to physical features, earning power or social status or academic achievement.
Today, we are invited to look carefully at how we perceive, how we look at others. Do we look at people’s heart, as God does?
As a community, have we excluded people because they are different and they do not seem to fit?
We are called to have the eyes of God. When you look at other people, do you see Jesus in them? Do you see Jesus Christ even in your enemy – even in the person you don't like?
Wisdom is seeing ourselves, seeing others, seeing our situations, seeing reality as God sees them.
Lent is the time we step back and examine our lives as to how closely we follow Jesus. If we are not following Jesus, then who or what are we following?
Evaluation is the mother of improvement. The Greek philosopher Socrates said: “An un-examined life is not worth living.”
With all our Lenten reflections and fasting and prayers and alms-giving - Hopefully, by the grace of God - come Easter – it will really be spring time in our spiritual life - everything is us will be new – we will be a new creation. Hopefully, we will see ourselves, others and all of creation as God sees them… or at least better than as how we used to.
The Gospel story illustrates the power of Jesus to heal not just the blindness of the eye but, above all, the blindness of the heart.
Let us look at the people in the Gospel story and see if we can see ourselves in them for reflection – if we can relate to their blindness. I encourage you to read the full Gospel reading if you have not yet read it – John 9:1-41– I only read the short version of the story for our Gospel reading. Again, John 9:1-41… a magnificent story which is also our story.
First, the disciples – why are they blind – The disciples - believed the blindness to be the result of sin, the disciple asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” - they were so pre-occupied with a theological discussion, rather than serving the man in need. Rather than responding with passion to a person, they passively debated his predicament – they only talked about it but did not do anything.
Secondly, the parents of the man born blind – why are they blind? - because when they were asked about the healing of their son – they refused to answer because they are more concerned with their own security – they were afraid of the Jews because the Jews agreed that whoever acknowledges Jesus as the Christ would be expelled from the synagogue.
St. Paul said that we must be willing to bear our share of hardship for the gospel. Not only must we put away our prejudices, our indifference, our blindness to the needs of others – but we must be ready to suffer for our choice for the love of God. We must choose – Will it be the standards of the world or the power of God in Jesus Christ?
Thirdly – the neighbors - the neighbors argued about whether this was the same blind man who once sat and begged. They could not recognize the man because they probably turned their heads away, they did not look at him every time they approached him before. Beggars, the poor are somehow transformed into people when we look into their eyes.
People think that it is both emotionally and financially safer if they avoid contact particularly eye contact with the poor. It is apparent that the neighbors did not care enough to get a good look at the blind man before; otherwise, they could have easily recognized him – The neighbors were blinded by indifference. They didn’t care.
Fourth – the Pharisees -- the blindest of the blind, because there was Christ, the Messiah, in front of them, the very presence of God and they missed Him. They missed God. They were so concerned with their Sabbath rules.
The Pharisees were also blind to everyone’s needs but their own. They used people in the pursuit of their own objectives.
The Pharisees were so closed minded and they were so set on what they think to be true and so they saw only what they wanted to see.
Meaning – actually – this is true for all of us – at times we cling so tightly to what we think is true that when the truth comes, which we deeply desire, and stands before us, we refuse to see… because our mind is so set.
So - Who’s not blind in the story? – Jesus - Jesus saw the man born blind for who Jesus was – a person to be loved. Here’s the irony - the man born blind saw Jesus for who Jesus was. In our Gospel story, the blind man’s understanding of Jesus gradually became clear; he went from seeing him as only a man at the beginning, to seeing him as a prophet, and finally, as the Lord. He was given a perfect 20/20 vision, so to speak, both physically and spiritually.
The story of the blind man is also our story. To learn from Jesus, we must first admit our ignorance of the truth, to be healed we must first acknowledge our blindness, to be forgiven we must confess our sins.
On that note, the renowned archbishop Fulton J. Sheen used to say that in the past Catholics believed in the Immaculate Conception, but today, sadly, people think they were also immaculately conceived - meaning, they think that they are also sinless – without sin… and that is why they do not go to confession anymore.
So - When was the last time you went to confession?
In the Gospel, Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?"
Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sinned. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains." (John 9:39-41)
Meaning - In other words, if you say: “I do not have sin to confess”, then you are blind and your sin remains. The sacrament of Reconciliation offers us continual opportunity for healing our blindness and for us to find peace for our soul.
When we go to confession, as in the other Sacraments, we encounter Christ so intensely and intimately. Jesus listens to our humble confession of our sins that burden us and when the priest gives us absolution – it is actually Christ who absolves us of our sins and it is Christ who heals us of our blindness to our sinful behavior and therefore it is Christ who opens our eyes to God’s love, grace, mercy and peace.
Do not miss out on the grace waiting for us in confession.
Christ is always there waiting for us to humbly confess our sins, to acknowledge our need of His love, grace, mercy and peace and to heal us of our blindness… It is the best way to prepare for our Easter celebration and share in Christ’s resurrection.
Again, please go to confession. Do not deprive of yourself of God’s awesome gift of His mercy and peace.
God bless… Be at peace…
