COLLECT: “O GOD, WHO THROUGH YOUR WORD RECONCILE THE HUMAN RACE TO YOURSELF IN A WONDERFUL WAY, GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT WITH PROMPT DEVOTION AND EAGER FAITH THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE MAY HASTEN TOWARD THE SOLEMN CELEBRATIONS TO COME. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
I Sam 16:1,6-7,10-13; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41 or 1,6-9, 13-17, 34-38
“LORD, OPEN MY EYES TO THE LIGHT AND MY HEART TO VISION”.
Today’s scriptures, especially the second and gospel readings present Jesus as the Light of the World. Several scripture texts present Jesus Christ as the Light of the World. A few of them are: (Jn 1:4-5,8) ‘Jesus is light of mankind’, “I am the Light of the world” (Jn8:12; 9:5), “I have come as a Light to shine” (Jn 12:46), (1Jn 1:5-6) God’s light exposes darkness of sin, (Ps 27:1) “The Lord is my light..”, (Lk 2:32) “He is the light to reveal God to…”, etc. In effect, today’s scriptures put before us, a kind of comparison between Light and Darkness, Sight and Blindness, Evil and Goodness, the Lord (God) and Satan, and what each can do in our lives and activities.
Darkness which is the opposite of light symbolically represents sickness like blindness in the natural and physical world as it does not allow people to see, but represents sin and Satan in the spiritual realm as sinful things are carried out in the darkness. In the ancient Jewish world, the two types of darkness (sickness and sin) were related as they understood calamities or sufferings – sickness included – as a result of sin and for them, only God could save or cure people suffering from them. However, since the Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they reacted to what he did for the blind man. Jesus indeed is the long-expected Messiah, the fulfilment of Is 61:1ff, who has power over sickness and sin (the two types of darkness). He is that Great Light that dispels whatever darkness we experience in the world. Only Jesus can bring us both physical and spiritual sight.
As a disciple is not superior to the teacher but has to grow to be like the teacher (Mt 10:24-25), Christians are called to be like Jesus. We are called to be like Jesus, the light of the world (Mt 5:14-15; Eph 5:8-14). By our baptism and confirmation, we are called and anointed like King David to bring God’s salvation to the world. This means our actions should reflect our faith. We should live above reproach morally, to reflect God’s goodness in us to others (Mt 5:15-16). This calls for always having to make conscious efforts to avoid the “worthless deeds of evil and darkness ‘(any pleasure or activity that results in sin)’”.
This sometimes is not so because we allow our human frailties and weaknesses to control us instead of allowing God’s grace to act when we realise we are weak and frail. This sometimes puts us back into darkness. The moral weaknesses and frailties of Saul put the light of Yahweh out among the Israelites and brought them into darkness. God instructed Samuel to anoint David as King of Israel to bring back God’s light into Israel through David’s obedience to God.
Some areas of darkness that continue to be a threat to the light that Jesus brought to us, which eventually sometimes make some of us “modern weak Sauls” and people of darkness instead of light are:
DOUBT and SKEPTICISMS. This leads to unbelief and no trust, dedication and commitment to one’s God. This was the lot of the Pharisees in the gospel.
JEALOUSY. Again, the Pharisees were jealous of Jesus’ popularity and his influence on the people. This puts us on the path/way of sin.
STRICT and BLIND OBSERVANCE OF LAWS to the neglect of the spirit of caring for people who are in dire need, like the man born blind.
IGNORANCE, coupled with PRIDE leading to inability and refusal to perceive and acknowledge the miraculous works and signs of God in our lives and in the lives of other people. This has been demonstrated by the neighbours of the man born blind. No one is so blind as the person who refuses to see.
FEAR-generating DISHONESTY: We see this in the parents of the blind man. Out of fear, they refused to admit that their son had been born blind when the Jews interrogated them about whether the man had actually been born blind and had now gained his sight. Fear can lead us to deny what is true, right and objective. It can even lead us sometimes to deny Jesus. Peter the Apostle denied knowing Jesus three times (Mt 26:31ff).
FEAR can also make us transgress or disobey God’s Commandments and His Word. This was what King Saul did and God rejected him.
STUBBORNNESS/DRYHEADEDNESS. The Pharisees demonstrated this when they asked Jesus: “Are you saying we are blind” (v.40). Stubbornness can never do us any good. At best, it can only put us into more mess.
PREJUDICE and APPEARANCE. We sometimes rely on ‘hearsay’ or the physical appearance of a person to make conclusions or judgments.
Others are: WRONG TEACHINGS, WRONG PIECES OF ADVICE, MISLEADING OTHERS, INFLUENCING OR FORCING OTHERS TO DO WHAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO DO, IRRESPONSIBILITY, LOVE OF THE WORLD, MATERIALISM AND WEALTH, ETC.
These are sinful and they put us in total darkness. We are cautioned and urged during this Season of Lent to look into ourselves and if I find traces of such areas of darkness in my life, then I should know I am a person of darkness (blindness) and I need to be cured of my blindness before Easter.
Jesus however has shown us the way to remain in the light that he has given to us as his disciples. He has also given us vehicles through which we can remain in his light. These include:
FAITH in God is the number one way and vehicle. It is the key we can use to have access to Jesus and his light.
THE WORD OF GOD is another way or vehicle to be in this light.
THE SACRAMENTS as well as the SACRAMENTALS. Jesus gave us the Sacraments through which we can be his true disciples and be a light of the world.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of Christians who think that the Sacraments are not necessary. Other people also think that the way the Sacraments are administered is not the best and so they think that they can do it better. This explains why some people think that they do not need the Priests to anoint them.
They think they can anoint themselves with so-called anointing oil/water. Is it everyone who has the right to anoint? (Cf. today’s first reading). Other people also do not see why they should go to the ordained priests for confession. Such people misinterpret James 5:13. Some people will attend Mass, they are in the state of grace to receive the Holy Communion, but it is not out of pride or shyness, when it is time for Communion, they either sit there or they walk out.
Let us call to mind and think along with St. Paul that we were once in darkness, but now by virtue of our baptism and confirmation, we are light in the Lord. As people of light, let us endeavour to work and produce every kind of goodness, righteousness and truth, particularly during this season of Lent (cf. Eph 5:8-14). Stay blessed and may your 4th Sunday of Lent be fruitful.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SUNDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION’. (WE PRAY FOR FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “O GOD, WHO ENLIGHTEN EVERYONE WHO COMES INTO THE WORLD, ILLUMINATE OUR HEARTS, WE PRAY, WITH THE SPLENDOUR OF YOUR GRACE, THAT WE MAY ALWAYS PONDER WHAT IS WORTHY AND PLEASING TO YOUR MAJESTY AND LOVE YOU IN ALL SINCERITY. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com
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