4th Sunday in Lent - Year A - 26th March, 2017
A lady once told of how, she, as a little girl with seriously impaired vision, was adopted from a children’s residential home. “My adoptive parents appreciate me now though”, she said, “as I am the only one who can find the candles when there is an electricity failure!” She had the gift of insight, a way of looking at life, that was just different from others.
“There are none so blind as those who will not see.”
There is an old proverb which says that “there are none so blind as those who will not see.” Today the neighbours of the blind man had not the eyes to recognize him when his sight was restored by Jesus. The Pharisees too refuse to see, insist on looking upon the man born blind, as a sinner, and refusing to see Jesus as coming from God.
Everyone is visually impaired in today’s gospel except the man born blind
Only the man born blind can see with new eyes – he recognizes Jesus: “Tell me who he is so that I may believe in him,” said the man. Jesus replied, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord I believe’, and worshipped him.
Dear Lord, I pray that I may see
Like the woman at the well last week, this visually impaired man has no name either. He represents you and me, who want to see Jesus. Why not repeat this simple mantra all day today: Lord, that I may see you and believe in you.
Fr Michael McCullagh, C.M.