SEEING IS BELIEVING 4TH SUNDAY IN LENT 2014

4th Sunday in Lent Year I Theme: Seeing is believing. 30-4-2014 1st Reading 1 Sam 16:1b,6-7, 10-13b choice falls on David. 2nd Reading Eph 5:8-14 living in light Gospel John 9:1-41 Vision to man born blind. In our lives we go about our daily living is so ordinary. We wake up. Sleep Do most of our activities often very spontaneously. Once we begin to be aware of our activities our life becomes more meaningful. We tend to see things around us. Today we are reminded of our sight. Its meaning Significance and use. We have read about many miracles in the bible. Some were performed by earnest request from the person who was either lame, deaf, leper, sick, suffering. Some times the miracle is performed by the prayers of the parents, friends, neighbours. In today’s Gospel it is the curiosity of the disciples. They attribute the blindness to the man sitting and begging to the sin committed by him or his parents. Jesus corrects them saying it is because God wants the greatness of Jesus to be proved by the miracle of giving sight to this poor blind. Jesus uses the same clay which is used to create a person in the bible. Clay was used to create us. Here clay is used to bring sight to the blind man. Jesus asks him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. We have heard three readings. First from Old Testament, where David is chosen even though Jesse father of David wanted his other sons to be leaders. Eventually David who was in the field tending sheep is chosen as a king and anointed. We may not even think we are worthy of any reward by God. Who am I Lord say we often when it comes to serving him as a leader in the ecclesiastical community. We try to escape all responsibility. We sit at the back of the church. Hide our identity as no body. When volunteers are called for, we try to escape saying I do not have time, am not qualified. But today we have seen Jesus taking the initiative to bring vision to a blind man. Jesus takes the initiative and rewards the begging blind man. The disciples are confused thinking probably the boys parents were sinners that is why this man is born blind Jesus rectifies their view by saying this blindness is a reason for their mind to be enlightened to see. People are not sure, because though they have been noticing him every day. Today he looks totally changed, how could this be the blind man. He is not begging. He is rejoicing. What a reward for his being patient. Jesus searches the patient for his/her patience. We have to be always in the light as Paul says in the second reading to the Ephasians. How we were sinners. By God’s choice of us as his people we have received the spirit of light to be witnesses of God’s wonderful light We cannot hide this light behind any shield. It has to shine forth. Lent is a time when we can earnestly beg God to be healing our spiritual blindness to be able to shine forth in the dark corners of this secular world. Where people have no time for God, am I able to make time for God????? They are busy with noise and cacophony, do I allow myself be aware in the midst of noise and cacophony????? We have to be people who can show forth God’s wonder in our lives. This Sunday we are given a vision for spiritual wisdom. Our vision has to be brightened. Shall we attempt to be used and applied the soil of our faith to be used to brighten our faith? Only Jesus is bale to apply this to our eyes. Even on a Sunday we are supposed to be ready for this miracle. In union with the divine word, Fr. Juze Vas svd