Sunday, March 10, 2002
4th Sunday of Lent
1st Reading: 1 S 16:1, 6-7, 10-13
In those days Yahweh asked Samuel, "How long will you be grieving
over Saul whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with
oil and be on your way to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have chosen my
king from among his sons."
As they came, Samuel looked at Eliab the older and thought, "This
must be Yahweh's anointed." But Yahweh told Samuel, "Do not
judge by his looks or his stature for I have rejected him. Yahweh does
not judge as man judges; humans see with the eyes; Yahweh sees the heart."
Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel who said,
"Yahweh has chosen none of them. But are all your sons here?"
Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest, tending the flock just
now." Samuel said to him, "Send for him and bring him to me;
we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives." So Jesse sent for
his youngest son and brought him to Samuel. He was a handsome lad with
ruddy complexion and beautiful eyes. And Yahweh spoke, "Go, anoint
him for he is the one." Samuel then took the horn of oil and anointed
him in his brothers' presence. From that day onwards, Yahweh's Spirit
took hold of David.
2nd Reading: Eph 5:8-14
Brothers and sisters, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Behave as children of light; the fruits of light are kindness, justice and truth in every form.
You yourselves search out what pleases the Lord, and take
no part in works of darkness that are of no benefit; expose them instead.
Indeed it is a shame even to speak of what those people do in secret,
but as soon as it is exposed to the light, everything becomes clear. And
what has become clear becomes light. Therefore it is said: "Awake,
you who sleep, arise from the dead that the light of Christ may shine
on you."
Gospel: Jn 9:1-41 (or Jn 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38)
As
Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. He made
paste with spittle and clay and rubbed it on the eyes of the blind man.
Then he said, "Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam." (This name
means sent.) So he went and washed and came back able to see.
His neighbors and all the people who used to see him begging, wondered.
They said, "Isn't this the beggar who used to sit here?" Some
said, "It's the one." Others said, "No, but he looks like
him." But the man himself said, "I am the one."
The people brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees.
Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made mud paste and opened his eyes.
The Pharisees asked him again, "How did you recover your sight?"
And he said, "He put paste on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see."
Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he works
on the sabbath"; but others wondered, "How can a sinner perform
such miraculous signs?" They were divided and they questioned the
blind man again, "What do you think of this man who opened your eyes?"
And he answered, "He is a prophet."
They answered him, "You were born a sinner and now
you teach us!" And they expelled him.
Jesus heard that they had expelled him. He found him and said, "Do
you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "Who is he, that
I may believe in him?" Jesus said, "You have seen him and he
is speaking to you. He said, "Lord, I believe"; and he worshiped
him.
Commentary
We're at the midway point of our 40-day desert pilgrimage
in the company of Jesus. We're on the road to Jerusalem, to celebrate
the mystery of death and resurrection at the heart of all creation. Jesus
described it as a baptism: by water and light we'll pass with him from
death to life. A blind man goes down to the pool of Siloam and from a
world of darkness is reborn into light. From isolation he is reborn into
community and receives the gift of faith. In the Pharisees our sinfulness
is presented: when public image means more to us than truth, light isn't
welcome! (Image means nothing to God - seen in the beautiful first reading.)
Merciful God, grant us enough humility to wake up, arise from the dead
and let the light of Christ shine on us.