First Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Second Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14
Gospel: John 9:1-41
Reflection Questions
1. List the people and the arguments to which the blind man had stand up.
2. Who do you know in your life that is a great example of trusting God? Describe.
3. How would you explain the following to a non-Christian: Why do bad things happen to good people?
Gospel Reflection
Ever wonder why God allows suffering and injustice, especially random occasions of it, to happen to us? Our Gospel passage for the Fourth Sunday of Lent centers on Jesus’ healing of a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples’ reaction to the blind man shows us the prevalent idea of the day that sicknesses and handicaps were caused by personal sin. Not so, according to the Lord. God allowed (not caused) the blindness of this man so that He could work a miracle through him. Although some hardships are caused by sin, others happen for no apparent reason. God, of course, continues to let these difficulties happen in our lives, no matter our background or holiness. He allows us to experience them so we can be tested, purified and know how to trust Him. All of us will be tested, especially at our time of death. These moments of hardship are God’s way of showing us that He has all the power. God promises us that in the end (when we get to heaven) He will win out: Not even death and suffering can defeat God. In this Gospel reading, Jesus heals the blind man by taking His own spit, mixing it with the ground and making clay. Jesus then spreads it on the eyes of the blind man and tells him to wash. Why would Jesus go to all the trouble of making clay, having the blind man wash, when Jesus could have just snapped His fingers or laid hands on him and healed him much more quickly. Jesus uses natural elements, supercharged with His very being, as instruments of His healing and grace. Sound familiar? It should, because this is how Jesus works in every sacrament. Every time you and I go to the sacraments, we experience Jesus through natural signs and symbols that have been supercharged with His grace. Jesus shows us here that the world, and everything in it, is to be used to help us draw closer to the Father. The blind man in the Gospel was used by God to show His power to heal us on our deepest level. While the physical healing was impressive, the most important healing was the man’s conversion to Christ. Jesus was no longer just a preacher, but by the end of the reading, the man knew Jesus as his Savior, the Son of Man. Under rejection by the Pharisees and even his own parents, the man stood up for Jesus and declared to them the work Jesus had done in him. The man didn’t back down or cave under the pressure, but remained loyal to Christ. This passage calls us to ‘put our money where mouth is’ and be willing to declare to people what Christ has done for us, even if that makes us feel uncomfortable. May God grant us the strength to stay focused on Jesus no matter what circumstances we find ourselves. May we continue, this Lent, to cast aside anything that keeps us from growing in our love for Jesus.
These reflections come from YM Central
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