Fourth Sunday of Lent
Scripture:
1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
Reflection:
Our gospel today is about the cure of the blind man. We might think, "Well, that doesn’t apply to me. I can see." But can we? Blindness can be more than a physical affliction.
We may be blinded by prejudice, and fail to see the beauty of each human person. We may be blinded by a sense of self-importance, and fail to appreciate the uniqueness of others. We may be blinded by unforgiveness, and fail to see the way to peace.
We may be blinded by our desires for comfort and security, and fail to see the needs of others. We may be blinded by fear, and fail to see the possibilities life holds out for us. We may be blinded by self-pity, and fail to see our own inner beauty.
We beg, "Lord, remove our blindness. We want to see."
Give us eyes of wonder to see the beauty of creation. Give us eyes of courage to see our way through trials and difficulties. Give us eyes of compassion to see new ways of helping. Give us eyes of hope to see our potential. And give us eyes of wisdom to see how short life is, and how great is the importance of each person in each day.
God the Father is shouting out his love through the beauty of creation, but often we don’t see it. Jesus is living in the poor, but often we don’t recognize Him. God the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, but often we aren’t aware of Him.
The Little Prince said to the Fox. "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly." May the Lord grant eyes to our hearts, so that me may live as children of love and be a radiant image of the Lord.
Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California. http://www.alanphillipcp.com/