Fourth Sunday of Lent

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Sunday, March 14, 2021

John 9:1-41

Reflection by Lucy Geerer

This Gospel reading is from Year A, the cycle of readings traditionally used on this Sunday of Lent whenever a community is preparing to welcome new Christians into the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

The blind man in today’s Gospel sees.  He sees physically, and he represents to us the power of Christ to open our eyes to the wonders of the world and, more importantly, to Him in all of his reality.  This would be the most popular understanding of this Gospel.

However, if we look more closely, we see that Christ takes mud from the earth and mixes it with his saliva and then rubs it on the blind man’s eyes.  He then sends him to the pool of Siloam to wash.  It is only after all this is done that sight is given.

St. Augustine teaches that this is a metaphor for the Incarnation.  God mixes himself with the earthly mud making a paste for us – a healing balm – and then He sends us to wash in the waters of Baptism so that we too may begin to see Him now and thus for all of eternity.

Doubters rise and question the man, his authenticity, and the violation of the Sabbath with Jesus’ “work.”  So, too, in today’s world, doubt and denial exist.  People fear to profess their faith.  The blind man has no doubt, however.  He trusts Jesus when He says “I am the Son of Man.”  Very simply, his response, as ours should be, is, “Lord, I believe.”

Come, let us worship him.