March 18th

March 19, 2023
4 th Sunday of Lent
Readings: 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a/Eph 5:8-14/Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17,
34-38 (31)
Julian Ohizu: Campus Minister
The readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year A are about sight and blindness.
The first reading is the story of the choosing of David as God’s anointed one. Samuel is
told that God does not see us as we do. The second reading is a reminder that we must
live in the light, not in darkness. And the Gospel is the story of the man born blind,
whom Jesus healed. The story of the man born blind is also significant in terms of
theological debates around sin and suffering. In Jewish culture, it was believed that
physical disabilities were the result of sin, either of the individual or their parents.
However, Jesus challenges this view by stating that the man’s blindness was not caused
by sin, but rather was an opportunity for God’s power to be displayed.
In the healing of the man born blind, Jesus reveals himself as the Son of Man, a
title that points to his divinity. But after the man born blind is healed, it is not
surprising that the religious leaders question him and his parents about the healing,
and ultimately reject Jesus and his message. The passage uses the imagery of sight and
blindness to speak of the deeper reality of spiritual sight (faith) and spiritual blindness
(faithlessness or false religiosity or hypocrisy).  The personal question for each of us is
where are we in the passage?  With whom do we identify?   Do you identify with the
Apostles who misunderstand the cause of suffering and hardships? Others of us may be
like the blind man at the beginning of the account.  We cannot see anything.  We sit
around waiting for others to take care of us.
Some may identify with the image of the man after Jesus has smeared the paste
on his eyes.  We start to sense something is about to happen.  We have been touched by
Jesus but are not sure what it all means. The position of the neighbors and friends who
see the blind man and react with disbelief may resonate with others of us.  We cannot,
or will not, believe that God can act mysteriously and miraculously in other people’s
lives, especially those whom we thought were outcast and sinners. Others of us may be
like the parents, we don’t want to risk losing our position by changing our
understanding of how God works.  We don’t want to stand up for anyone, even our
closest relatives or friends, if it means it may cost us something personally. 
Some of us may be like the blind man near the end of the story.  We have begun
to see more clearly.  We receive another invitation from the Lord Jesus to go further in
our relationship with God. But we need God’s grace and strength to live out this call to
discipleship.  Finally, the image of religious leaders may resonate with some of us.  We

think we have this whole “God thing” down.  We want to tell God what God should be
doing.  
Today is a great day for us to look at our spiritual vision.  How do we see our
relationship with God?  Do we need to have our spiritual eyesight checked?  Today, the
focus also is on the gift of insight and spiritual vision that applies particularly to those
who will the receive sacraments during the Easter season.  The readings can speak to us
of our relationship with God.  God desires that we grow in that relationship and live
lives that proclaim God as the Gracious One Who gifts us. The readings today call both
those who will receive the gift of faith during Easter and all of us who have already
received the gift of faith to be gracious receivers of God’s gift and be grateful in our
response to God’s gift and be thankful to God for opening the eyes of our faith.