The Man Born Blind (2023-03-19) - Sunday 7:30 am

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 [Ver – 05 ] 2023. 03.19.  4^th Sunday Lent   ●● 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a ●● Psalm 23 ●● Ephesians 5:8-14 ●●  John 9:1-41 ●●   

Title:  Man Born Blind  (Sunday 7:30 am Mass on Mar. 19, 2023)

[__01_]  Many years ago, I was in NYC, at the busy intersection of 8^th Avenue and 42^nd Street, outside the Port Authority bus terminal one day, when I was approached by a blind man – a blind man whom I did not know.

          He asked me to help him cross 42^nd Street. He held my arm while I walked him across the street and we had a brief conversation.

          I found him to be quite friendly and interesting. I was interested to keep walking with him, but he assured me he was fine on his own. He continued without me.

[__02__]  In some sense, I was amazed at how little I had done for him, and how little he needed of my services. Of how much this blind man could attain and achieve with his white cane and his ears and hearing alert that he could get around fine and sidewalk. It was only that little bit of crossing the street.

[__03__]  Have you ever been impressed by what a blind person – without vision – can accomplish or achieve?

          There are blind lawyers, physicians, accountants, computer programmers. Some of them may even report their blindness as an advantage.

          Many musicians have excelled not in spite of blindness, put perhaps because the greater sensory strength they find in their hearing. And, it’s not unusual to see a sighted musician closing his or her eyes to focus and hear better.   Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles are examples of this

          Blindness may be a hurdle, but in our modern times, we do not see it as insurmountable.

 

[__04__]  In the ancient world of Jesus, it was a different story. A blind person was completely marginalized. There was no way for a blind person to learn to read or write.

          For this reason,  the Temple leaders are insulted, put off by his witness to Jesus and his wisdom and they say, “You were born totally in sin and you are trying to teach us.”  (John __).

[__05__]   Our Gospel and the reading from 1^st Samuel teach us today about the advantage of seeking God’s light when we are in darkness.

          Also, the message is that neither blindness nor any disability indicates that you are abandoned by God or God’s love.

          Jesus says that he come so that those who see might become blind. I’d like to touch on the advantage of  blindness/darkness as it relates to the 3 of our sacraments – to Baptism, to Confession and to Holy  Communion.

[__06__]   1^st. BAPTISM.

          There is a type of “baptism” taking place in the first reading about the prophet Samuel.

          I say that this is a baptism because David is being selected and anointed as the new King of Israel.

          And, when you and I are baptized, we are also baptized into Jesus’ kingly or royal character. You were baptized to be a priest, a prophet and yes… a “king”.

          When we think of kings we think of royal families with lots of money, good looks and palaces.

          But,  Samuel is sent to anoint someone as a king who has none of this. In fact, Samuel does not really understand God’s plan.    Samuel is “blind”.

          Samuel is inclined to rely on his own vision and to anoint the eldest and strongest looking candidate.

          Samuel is told “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty statue, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but God looks into the heart.” (1 Samuel __)

          This “rejection statement” of the eldest son of Jesse could also be “copied and pasted” to apply equally to God’s view of the current King of Israel who also had a tall and lofty stature but who was not in tune with God.

          David will later be described as a “shepherd” after God’s own heart.

          You and I have a dignity in baptism that is not based on a visual “look” or profile.

          Nearly all of us were baptized as infants, long before we could walk or talk. It is an example of God laying down his life while were still sinners. While we all resembled each other.

          It also reminds me to consider and ask myself – do I love others or appreciate others only based on appearances? On status ? on what they do for me?

          On whether someone is affectionate or friendly to me or not?

What about a situation when I have to confront someone with love or you may have to confront someone with love to correct someone to speak lovingly to someone about some action. No one likes these confrontations or conversations. Sometimes “tough love” is needed.

          But, one of the reasons we are called to do this is to look beyond appearances.

          My parents did not love me simply by telling me how good I looked. They looked into the heart. By our baptism in the Holy Spirit, we are called to do the same.

          Doing so, you do not even need to see. It can be an advantage to be blind.

 [__07__]   2^nd. CONFESSION.

          The sacrament of confession exists as the internal and private forum in which you and I can reveal our faults to Jesus Christ through the priest.

          It is, in a good way, a form of blindness and darkness. You do not have to be seen. The priest does not have to know and is not supposed to ask your name.

          It is a way for us to give our sins to God so that they are taken from us.

          Confession is the alternative to condemnation. It is the remedy for and solution to prevent us from condemning ourselves and condemning others.

          Personally, when things go wrong, I find it tempting to condemn myself or to condemn someone else.

This is against the Gospel.

          Confession also exists because the experience of recognizing one’s sin is not a “single elimination knockout tournament” where “you win or go home”.

          Also, by doing penance we become co-heirs with the Risen Christ, “provided we suffer with him.”

          This does not mean “penance” is a payment I make to “get forgiven”. Rather, penance is my share in the cross.

          “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that all who believe in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

          Confession happens also so that we can access God’s true light which is love and mercy.

          Also, is it not easier to forgive someone else when you yourself have been forgiven?

[__08__]    3^rd . HOLY COMMUNION

          One of the things we are doing when we are at Mass is we are FASTING before we receive Holy Communion.

          The official minimum fast is one hour, but you may certainly fast or abstain from food for longer if you wish.

          And the Lenten discipline of 40 days also introduces us to fasting and giving something up for Lent.

          I suggest it is similar to what the man on the street outside the Port Authority had to do… in order get across 42^nd Street.   He was very independent, very able bodied.

          But he could only cross the street with help from someone, without submitting himself to help from someone else.

          The act of going to Communion is not just an act of sustainability, but also of surrender.

          Fasting is not just an endurance contest, but also an act of surrender to indicate that what we are giving up is less important than what we are receiving during the fast.

          Because the point of the fast is not to show what you can go without but find out what you really need.

          The reason the man is healed from his blindness is also not to send him back his old life, but to give him a new one where Christ is the light of the world.    [__END__]