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Lord, That I May See As You See

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Lord, That I May See As You See

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A)
I Sam 16.1, 6-7, 10-13;  
Eph 5.8-14;  
Jn 9.1-41

Last week’s scripture readings centred on the imagery of living water.  Today’s focus is on the escape from blindness to sight. The Old Testament reading helps us to focus this desire to see clearly as God sees. Samuel, the Lord’s priest, was sent on a mission to anoint the next King of Israel.  When he arrived, Jesse was instructed to send all his sons.  Samuel looked at them all;  many were tall and impressive,  But all were passed over.  In the end, David was brought in from the fields, the youngest and smallest of the sons.  He was the one, and Samuel anointed him.  It was a clear sign that the Lord God does not see as man sees.  

How do we judge others?  Do we judge as the world judges?  Are we inclined to go for exterior beauty, classic features, a good complexion and wonderful hair?  If we see someone physically attractive or handsome, do we think of them as better people?  What is our reaction to those who are handicapped in some way, those who are not physically beautiful?  Do we, like so many in our society, recoil from those whose appearance is superficially off-putting?  

In the gospel we have just heard Our Lord marvellously heals a man who has been blind from birth.  Once again, Saint John’s account has many levels of meaning. For the man himself, life was transformed.  It is hard to imagine what it must be like to be able to see after so many years in total darkness.  John also uses the story as an image to reflect on the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees.  We hear their moaning about the man’s restoration of sight because he is a sinner, and this healing amounts to forgiveness of sins.  The usual question arises – what authority has Jesus had to do these things?  

But there is yet another level of meaning.  We are invited to see ourselves as being in some way blind, and to let Our Lord restore our sight.
The first person the man who is healed of his blindness sees is Our Lord.  How blessed this man was!  There could be no better way to celebrate new sight than by the vision of God made man.  Saint John wants us to consider how much we see.  This same process of seeing things clearly also challenges us in our daily decisions.  When faced with a choice, how often do we choose the path of light, and how often the path of darkness?

Do we see Christ?  If we were living our faith fully, we would see Him in the poor, the sick, the imprisoned and unloved, as He Himself teaches us elsewhere.  When we look at the suffering in the world, so readily brought into our homes through television, we would see those who suffer through His eyes and recognize His suffering in their sufferings in the streets. How far is this true?  If we do not see Him there, then to some extent we are blind.   And then there is the sacramental world to which we belong within the Church.  When we look to the altar and gaze on the Body and Blood of Christ offered in sacrifice for us, or look at the Host in the Monstrance when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, how clearly do we see the Lord?  If we cannot see Him clearly, then our site is to some extent defective.

During Lent, as we examine ourselves, we must surely discover how often we prefer darkness, and how often we select sin rather than virtue.   By getting caught in sinful habits and choices, we dull our vision’  by advancing into the darkness we lose our clarity of perception. The effects of the light are shown in complete goodness and right living and truth, Saint Paul told the Ephesians.  We are offered this season of grace, Lent, to allow Our Lord to restore and renew our sight.  If we turn to Him in prayer and penitence He will enter our lives in a deeper way and forgive our sins.  As we are forgiven, our spiritual sight will grow more Christ-like.  We shall see people and opportunities and challenges more as He sees them for us.  

May the sense of Our Lord’s desire to grant us clear vision and spiritual sight help and sustain us and may we grow during the rest of Lent to see things more as He sees them.

Fr Joseph Osho

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