Catechism Links
CCC 280, 529, 748, 1165, 2466, 2715: Christ the light of the nations
CCC 439, 496, 559, 2616: Jesus is the Son of David
CCC 1216: baptism is illumination
CCC 782, 1243, 2105: Christians are to be light of the world
CCC Cross Reference:
1 Sm 16:1 436; 1 Sm 16:12-13 436; 1 Sm 16:13 695
Ps 23:5 1293
Eph 5:8 1216, 1695; Eph 5:9 1695; Eph 5:14 2641
Jn 9:6 1151, 1504; Jn 9:7 1504; Jn 9:16-17 595; Jn 9:16 596, 2173; Jn 9:22 575, 596; Jn 9:31 2827; Jn 9:34 588; Jn 9:40-41 588
Back to Deacon’s Bench '08
Back to SOW II '11
Back to SOW II '14
Back to SOW II '17
Back to SOW II '20
Back to SOW II '23
Reading 1
1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
The Lord said to Samuel:
“Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.”
But the Lord said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the Lord looks into the heart.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The Lord has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The Lord said,
“There—anoint him, for this is the one!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Reading II
Eph 5:8-14
Brothers and sisters:
You were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;
rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention
the things done by them in secret;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore, it says:
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
Gospel
Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered,
“Neither he nor his parents sinned;
it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day.
Night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
When he had said this, he spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is, “
but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
He said, “I am.”
So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
He replied,
“The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes
and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’
So I went there and washed and was able to see.”
And they said to him, “Where is he?”
He said, “I don’t know.”
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath.”
But others said,
“How can a sinful man do such signs?”
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
“What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
Now the Jews did not believe
that he had been blind and gained his sight
until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.
They asked them,
“Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
How does he now see?”
His parents answered and said,
“We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
We do not know how he sees now,
nor do we know who opened his eyes.
Ask him, he is of age;
he can speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid
of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed
that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ,
he would be expelled from the synagogue.
For this reason his parents said,
“He is of age; question him.”
So a second time they called the man who had been blind
and said to him, “Give God the praise!
We know that this man is a sinner.”
He replied,
“If he is a sinner, I do not know.
One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”
So they said to him,
“What did he do to you?
How did he open your eyes?”
He answered them,
“I told you already and you did not listen.
Why do you want to hear it again?
Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
They ridiculed him and said,
“You are that man’s disciple;
we are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we do not know where this one is from.”
The man answered and said to them,
“This is what is so amazing,
that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners,
but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.
It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.
If this man were not from God,
he would not be able to do anything.”
They answered and said to him,
“You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, (Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him,
the one speaking with you is he.”
He said,
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
Then Jesus said,
“I came into this world for judgment,
so that those who do not see might see,
and those who do see might become blind.”
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this
and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”
Jesus said to them,
“If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.
or
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” — which means Sent —.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is, “
but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
He said, “I am.”
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath.”
But others said,
“How can a sinful man do such signs?”
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
“What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
They answered and said to him,
“You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him, and
the one speaking with you is he.”
He said,
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading 1 Samuel 16:1 – 13
The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you go on mourning over Saul when I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons.’
Samuel did what the Lord ordered and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came trembling to meet him and asked, ‘Seer, have you come with good intentions towards us?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’
Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, ‘the Lord has not chosen these’. He then asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ He answered, ‘There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep’. Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes’. Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. The Lord said, ‘Come, anoint him, for this is the one’. At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord seized on David and stayed with him from that day on. As for Samuel, he rose and went to Ramah.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22(23):1-6
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Second reading Ephesians 5:8 – 14
You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light, for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you, having nothing to do with the futile works of darkness but exposing them by contrast. The things which are done in secret are things that ashamed even to speak of; but anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light. That is why it is said:
Wake up from your sleep,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.
Gospel John 9:1 – 41
As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to have been born blind?’ ‘Neither he nor his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered ‘he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
‘As long as the day lasts
I must carry out the work of the one who sent me;
the night will soon be here when no one can work.
As long as I am in the world
I am the light of the world.’
Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.
His neighbors and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one’. Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him’. The man himself said, ‘I am the man’. So they said to him, ‘Then how do your eyes come to be open?’ ‘The man called Jesus’ he answered ‘made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, “Go and wash at Siloam”; so I went, and when I washed I could see.’ They asked, ‘Where is he?’ ‘I don’t know’ he answered.
They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see’. Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath’. Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man. However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, without first sending for his parents and asking them, ‘Is this man really your son who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we do not know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.’ His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. This was why his parents said, ‘He is old enough; ask him’.
So the Jews again sent for the man and said to him, ‘Give glory to God! For our part, we know that this man is a sinner.’ The man answered, ‘I don’t know if he is a sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see’. They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He replied, ‘I have told you once and you wouldn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to become his disciples too?’ At this they hurled abuse at him: ‘You can be his disciple,’ they said ‘we are disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from’. The man replied, ‘Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes, and you don’t know where he comes from! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but God does listen to men who are devout and do his will. Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind; if this man were not from God, he couldn’t do a thing.’ ‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away.
Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you’. The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him. Jesus said:
‘It is for judgment
that I have come into this world,
so that those without sight may see
and those with sight turn blind’.
Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, ‘We are not blind, surely?’ Jesus replied:
‘Blind? If you were,
you would not be guilty,
but since you say, “We see”,
your guilt remains.
Alternative Gospel: John 9:1,6-9,13-17,34-38
As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. He spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.
His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’
They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man.
‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away.
Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
4th Sunday of Lent
From: 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
David is Anointed
-------------------------
[1b] The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons."
[5b]And he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. [6] When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him." [7] But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
[10] And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these." [11] And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he comes here." [12] And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." [13a] Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
16:1-31:13. This, the last section of 1 Samuel, begins with an account of Samuel's anointing of David, in a private, familial setting, is reminiscent of Saul's anointing, which was also done in secret (cf. 10:1-16). The narrative emphasizes that David does not in any way merit his election: he is a nobody, from a family of no importance: no genealogy is provided, apart from the name of Jesse, his father (v. 5); he is the youngest of his brothers (vv. 11-12) and, like the rest of his family, he works as a shepherd: he doesn't come from a noble or military or priestly family. He could have no claim to be anointed king.
God's gratuitous choice of this shepherd boy gives deep, religious meaning to his reception by Saul (16:14-23) and by the people, when he later kills Goliath (17:55 -18:5). David's qualities and feats would not have been enough to advance him, had not God first singled him out. David is a type of those who in the Christian dispensation are called to offices in the Church: what matters is not background, personal qualities or material resources but the realization that one is called by God. Also, one needs to bear in mind that "man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" (v. 7); from this derives the requirement to live and act in keeping with the call one is given. "For by his power to know himself in the depths of his being he rises above the whole universe of mere objects. When he is drawn to think about his real self, he turns to those deep recesses of his being where God who probes the heart awaits him, and where he himself decides his own destiny in the sight of God" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 14).
*********************************************************************************************
From: Ephesians 5:8-14
Walking in the Light
-----------------------------
[5] For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light [9] ( for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), [10] and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. [11] Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. [12] For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; [13] but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.
[14] Therefore it is said, "Awake, 0 sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
8-9. In contrast to the Christian's previous situation, which St Paul describes as "darkness", he now goes on to speak about the proper course for a believer, for someone enlightened by faith. The Christian is in a different position from that of a pagan; he knows our Lord Jesus Christ and he has a new way of thinking: he is a "child of light", because Christ has given him insight into the criteria which should govern his behavior. In his new life, he should be light; he has been reborn to be the "light of the world" (cf. Mt 5:14-16; Jn 1:5; 8:12), a pursuer of all that is good and right and true; this means that he has a new way of being and thinking and acting, and is an example and a help to those around him. There is no room for excuses when what is at stake is the salvation of souls to whom we could be giving a helping hand: "Do not say, I cannot help others," St John Chrysostom preached; "if you are truly a Christian, it is impossible for you not to be able to do so [...]. If we act properly, every thing else will follow as a natural consequence. Christians' light cannot be hidden, a lamp so brilliant cannot fail to be seen" ("Hom. on Acts", 20).
10. Created in the image and likeness of God, man is guided by reason, which can lead him to recognize his Creator and shape his life in line with the moral law God has impressed upon creation itself. He should always be trying to grow in wisdom and knowledge: that is an essential feature of the human spirit. The Second Vatican Council explained this in these terms: "The intellectual nature of man finds at last its perfection, as it should, in wisdom, which gently draws the human mind to look for and to love what is true and good. Filled with wisdom man is led through visible realities to those which cannot be seen" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 15). If a person uses his natural intellect properly, it will bring him closer to God; moreover, the light of faith gives one a supernatural capacity to obtain better insight into the nature of God and his plans, and greater discernment as to what to do to please God.
A person who is in love tries to discover what the loved one likes, in order to do what pleases the loved one. The love of God should also lead one to prove that love with deeds, and not leave it at the level of words. If one is to offer God actions which are pleasing to him, one needs to have a good grasp of his commandments, of Christian doctrine and moral teaching. A first sign of the sincerity of a person's love of God is the effort he makes to obtain good spiritual and doctrinal training; that shows that he is at least making an effort in the right direction.
11-13. By his word and example, a Christian sheds light on all human realities, and thereby helps others to distinguish right from wrong. Anything that becomes visible is "light": that is, when things are properly identified--when good is shown to be good, and evil exposed for what it is (charitably but unambiguously) – the result is to dispel the confusion and moral relativism which does such harm to society. Hence the Second Vatican Council's exhortation to all Christians, especially lay people: "At a time when new questions are being put and when grave errors aiming at undermining religion, the moral order and human society itself are rampant, the Council earnestly exhorts the laity to take a more active part, each according to his or her talents and knowledge and in fidelity to the mind of the Church, in the explanation and defense of Christian principles and in the correct application of them to the problems of our times" ("Apostolicam Actuositatem", 6).
14. St Paul seems to be quoting from an early liturgical hymn, which depicts Baptism as true enlightenment (cf. Heb 6:4; 10:32). By their good works – the light of the world--Christians can help "the dead", that is, those separated from God by sin, to move out of darkness into the light, where they will attain through Baptism that new life which membership of Christ brings. The Apostle is comparing this situation to the luminous clarity a person obtains when he awakens from a deep sleep, in contrast to the profound darkness experienced by one who remains asleep. A sinner's conversion is the equivalent of rising up out of the sleep of death into a new existence, life in a new world illuminated by Christ, who possesses and radiates the glorious light of God (cf. Heb 1:3).
*********************************************************************************************
From: John 9:1-41
The Cure of the Man Born Blind
----------------------------------------------
[1] As He (Jesus) passed by, He saw a man blind from his birth. [2] And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" [3] Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. [4] We must work the works of Him who sent Me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. [5] As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." [6] As He said this, He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man's eyes with the clay, [7] saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. [8] The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" [9] Some said, "It is he"; others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." [10] They said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" [11] The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went and washed and received my sight." [12] They said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know."
[13] They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. [14] Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. [15] The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." [16] Some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such things?" There was a division among them. [17] So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about Him, since He has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
[18] The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, [19] and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" [20] His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; [21] but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." [22] His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. [23] Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him."
The Blindness of the Jews
--------------------------------------
[24] So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this Man is a sinner." [25] He answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." [26] They said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" [27] He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become His disciples?" [28] And they reviled him, saying, "You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. [29] We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this Man, we do not know where He comes from." [30] The man answered, "Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. [31] We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshipper of God and does His will, God listens to him. [32] Never since the world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. [33] If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing." [34] They answered him, "You were born in utter sin and would you teach us?" And they cast him out.
[35] Jesus heard that they had cast him out and having found him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" [36] He answered, "And who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?" [37] Jesus said to him, "You have seen Him, and it is He who speaks to you." [38] He said, "Lord, I believe"; and he worshipped Him. [39] Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." [40] Some of the Pharisees near Him heard this, and they said to Him, "Are we also blind?" [41] Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see', your guilt remains."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
2-3. The disciples' question echoes general Jewish views on the causes of illness and of misfortunes in general: they regarded them as punishment for personal sins (cf. Job 4:7-8; 2 Maccabees 7:18), or as the sins of parents being visited on their children (cf. Tobit 3:3).
We know through Revelation (cf. Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 5:12; etc.) that the origin of all the misfortunes which afflict mankind is sin--Original Sin and later personal sin. However, this does not mean that each misfortune or illness has its immediate cause in a personal sin, as if God inflicted or allowed evils to happen in direct proportion to every sin committed. Suffering, which is so often a factor in the life of the just man, can be a resource God sends him to cleanse him of his imperfections, to exercise him in virtue and to unite him to the sufferings of Christ the Redeemer, who although He was innocent, bore in Himself the punishments our sins merited (cf. Isaiah 53:4; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:5). For example, our Lady and St. Joseph and all the Saints have experienced intense suffering, thereby sharing in the redemptive suffering of Christ.
4-5. The "day" refers to Jesus' life on earth. Hence the urgency with which He approaches the task of doing the will of the Father until He reaches His death, which He compares with "night". This "night" can also be understood as referring to the end of the world; in this passage it means that the Redemption of men brought about by Christ needs to be continued by the Church throughout the centuries, and also that Christians should strive to spread the Kingdom of God.
"Time is precious, time passes, time is a phase of experiment with regard to our decisive and definitive fate. Our future and eternal destiny depends on the proof we give of faithfulness to our duties. Time is a gift from God; it is a question posed by God's love to our free and, it can be said, fateful answer. We must be sparing of time, in order to use it well, in the intense activity of our life of work, love and suffering. Idleness or boredom have no place in the life of a Christian! Rest, yes, when necessary (cf. Mark 6:31), but always with a view to vigilance, which only on the last day will open to a light on which the sun will never set" (Paul VI, "Homily", 1 January 1976).
Jesus proclaims that He is the Light of the world because His life among men has given us the ultimate meaning of the world, of the life of every man and every woman, and of mankind as a whole. Without Jesus all creation is in darkness, it does not understand itself, it does not know where it is going. "Only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. [...] Through Christ and in Christ, the riddles of sorrow and death grow meaningful; apart from His Gospel they overwhelm us" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 22). Jesus warns us--as He will do more clearly in John 12:35-36--of the need to let ourselves be enlightened by the Light, which is He Himself (cf. John 1:9-12).
6-7. This cure is done in two stages--Jesus' action on the eyes of the blind man, and the man being told to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. Our Lord also used saliva to cure a man who was deaf and dumb (cf. Mark 7:33) and another blind man (cf. Mark 8:23). The pool of Siloam was a reservoir built by King Hezekiah in the seventh century B.C., to supply Jerusalem with water (cf. Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30); the prophets regarded these waters as a sign of divine favor (cf. Isaiah 8:6; 22:11). St. John, using the broader etymology of the word Siloam, applies it to Jesus who is the "One sent" by the Father. Our Lord works through the medium of matter to produce effects which exceed anything matter can do. Something similar will occur with the Sacraments: through His word He will confer on material media the power of spiritually regenerating man.
Our Lord's instruction to the blind man is reminiscent of the miracle of Naaman, the Syrian general who was cured of leprosy when, on the instruction of the prophet Elisha, he washed seven times in the waters of the Jordan (cf. 2 Kings 5: 1ff). Naaman had hesitated before obeying; whereas the blind man obeys promptly without asking questions or raising objections.
"What an example of firm faith the blind man gives us! A living, operative faith. Do you behave like this when God commands, when so often you cannot see, when your soul is worried and the light is gone? What power could the water possibly contain that when the blind man's eyes were moistened with it they were cured? Surely some mysterious eye salve, or a precious medicine made up in the laboratory of some wise alchemist, would have done better? But the man believed; he acted upon the command of God, and he returned with eyes full of light" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 193).
8-34. After recounting the miracle, the Evangelist reports the doubts of the man's friends and neighbors (verses 8-12) and inquiry made by the Pharisees: they question the man (verses 13-17), his parents (verses 18-23), and then the man again, whom they end up condemning and expelling from their presence (verses 24-34). This passage is so full of detail that it looks like an eyewitness account.
The Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen this miracle as symbolizing the Sacrament of Baptism in which, through the medium of water, the soul is cleansed and receives the light of faith: "He sent the man to the pool called the pool of Siloam, to be cleansed and to be enlightened, that is, to be baptized and receive in Baptism full enlightenment" (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on St. John, in loc.").
This episode also reflects the different attitudes of people to our Lord and His miracles. The blind man, a straightforward person, believes in Jesus as envoy, prophet (verses 17, 33) and Son of God (verses 17, 33, 38); whereas the Pharisees persist in not wanting to see or believe, despite the clear evidence before them (verses 24-34).
In this miracle Jesus once again reveals Himself as the light of the world. This bears out the statement in the prologue: "The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world" (1-9). Not only does He give light to the eyes of the blind man: He enlightens his soul, leading him to make an act of faith in His divinity (verse 38). At the same time we can see the obvious drama of those whose blindness darkens their minds, as our Lord said in His dialogue with Nicodemus: "The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).
14-16. The Pharisees bring up the same accusation as they did when the paralyzed man was cured beside the pool (John 5:10) and as on other occasions Jesus has broken the Law because He cures the sick on the Sabbath (cf. Luke 13: 16; 14:5, etc.). Christ had often taught that observance of the law of Sabbath rest (cf. Exodus 20:8, 11; 21:13; Deuteronomy 5:14) was compatible with the duty to do good (cf. Matthew 12:3-8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5). Charity, the good of others, takes precedence over all the other commandments (cf. note on Matthew 12:3-8). If rules are given precedence in a blind sort of way over the inescapable obligations of justice and charity, the result is fanaticism, which always goes against the Gospel and even against right reason--as happens in this instance with the Pharisees. Their minds are so closed that they do not want to see God's hand in something which simply could not be done without divine power. The dilemma they pose themselves--is He a man of God, as His miracles imply; or a sinner, because He does not keep the Sabbath (cf. Mark 3:23-30)? -- can only arise in people whose outlook is that of religious fanatics. Their mistaken interpretation of how certain precepts should be kept leads them to forget the essence of the Law -- love of God and love of neighbor.
To avoid accepting Jesus' divinity, the Pharisees reject the only possible correct interpretation of the miracle; whereas the blind man--like all unprejudiced people open to the truth--finds solid grounds in the miracle for confessing that Christ works through the power of God (John 9:33): "He supported and confirmed His preaching by miracles to arouse faith of His hearers and give them assurance, but not to coerce them" (Vatican II, "Dignitatis Humanae", 11).
24. "Give God the praise": a solemn declaration, like an oath, exhorting a person to tell the truth. But the Pharisees are not looking for the truth: they want to intimidate the man to get him to withdraw his statement. They try to pressurize him by warning him: "We know this Man is a sinner". St. Augustine comments: "What do they mean, Give God the praise? They mean, deny what you have received. Clearly, this is not to give God the praise, but rather to blaspheme against God" ("In Ioann. Evang.", 44, 11).
25-34. This interrogation shows that the miracle was so patent that not even His enemies could deny it. Our Lord worked many miracles during His public ministry, showing that He had complete power over everything, in other words that He was divine.
Rationalism, basing itself on an erroneous philosophical principle, refuses to accept that God can intervene in a supernatural way in this world; it therefore denies the possibility of miracles: but the Church has always taught that miracles do happen and that they serve a purpose: "If any one shall say that miracles are impossible, and therefore all the accounts regarding them, even those contained in Holy Scripture, are to be dismissed as fabulous or mythical; or that miracles can never be known with certainty, and that the divine origin of Christianity cannot be proved by them--let him be "anathema" (Vatican I, "Dei Filius", Chapter 3, and Canon 4).
29. Everyone saw the miracle, but the Pharisees are so stubborn that they will not accept the significance of the event, not even after questioning the man himself and his parents. "The sin of the Pharisees did not consist in not seeing God in Christ, but in voluntarily shutting themselves up within themselves, in not letting Jesus, who is the light, open their eyes" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 71).
As this episode proceeds, the faith of the man himself deepens. He begins by recognizing Jesus as a prophet (verse 17) and he ends up acknowledging His divinity (verse 35); whereas over the same course of events the authorities become more and more obstinate--moving from doubt (verse 16), through the blasphemous assertion that Jesus is a sinner, to eventually expelling the beggar (verse 34)--a useful warning about the danger of pride which can blind one to the obvious.
34. After the Babylonian exile (sixth century B.C.), a Jewish custom developed of expelling from the synagogue those who had committed certain crimes. This took two forms--temporary expulsion for thirty days as a disciplinary measure, and permanent expulsion, which later was often imposed on Jews who became Christians. What is being referred to here is probably permanent expulsion, which was what was planned (verse 22) and which is noted elsewhere in the Gospels (cf. 12:42; 16:2; Luke 6:22).
35-38. This does not seem to have been an accidental meeting. The Pharisees have cast the man out of the synagogue; our Lord not only receives him but helps him make an act of faith in His divinity: "Now with the face of his heart washed and with his conscience cleansed, he acknowledges Him to be not only the Son of Man but Son of God" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 44, 15). This dialogue reminds us of Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman (cf. John 4:26).
39. This judgment which our Lord pronounces follows on the act of faith of the man who has been cured, and the persistent obstinacy of the Pharisees. He has not come to condemn the world but to save it (cf. John 3:17), but His presence among us already involves a judgment, because each of us has to take a stand on whether to reject or accept Jesus. Christ's coming implies the fall of some and the salvation of others (cf. Luke 2:34). In this sense, we will fall into one of two categories (cf. John 3:18-21; 12:47-48): on the one hand, the humble of heart (cf Matthew 11:25), who recognize their failings and who go to Jesus in search of forgiveness (these will receive the light He is speaking of); on the other hand, those who are satisfied with themselves and think that they do not need Christ or His word (they say they see but they are blind). Thus we ourselves decide our ultimate fate, depending on whether we accept or reject Jesus.
40-41. Jesus' words sting the Pharisees, who are always looking to catch Him out in something He says. They realize that He is referring to them and they ask Him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus' answer is quite clear: they can see but they do not want to: therefore they are unworthy. "If you realized you were blind, if you admitted you were blind and ran to the physician, you would have no sin, for I have come to take away sin; but because you say that you can see, you remain in your blindness" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 45, 17).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
No comments:
Post a Comment