Throughout this season of Lent, we want to continually
focus on the Cross as we move towards Good Friday. The Cross serves as a
reminder not only of the great gift that Jesus gave each of us but also the
ultimate reward of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
We have placed a large wooden cross at the front of
the church. On Ash Wednesday, each Sunday during Lent, and in Holy Week we will
place a symbol of Christ’s upcoming, Passion, death, and Resurrection at the
foot of the cross to serve as a visual reminder of what this Season of Lent
represents. Take note each week of what the symbol is that has been added and
seek to comprehend and apply how it connects to His word and our journey.
This week, a cane was put to the side of the cross
near the bucket, beside the three branches of a cactus, and the candle which were
placed near the bowl of ashes. This reminds us of aide, the strengthening, that
Jesus gave to the Man Born Blind, and that we are called to give to one another.
In the Gospel of today we are introduced to the
born blind: here are a couple things we know about him – he never saw light, he
never knew vision, he never experienced sight, but he always wanted all
three! Today’s Gospel provides us with
an opportunity to discuss aiding those who have lost their sight.
Recently, I ran across a "fascinating
list" that carried this intriguing title: "Great Truths About Life
That Little Children Have Learned." Let me share a few of these
"great truths" with you.
- "When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your
hair."
- "Never ask your 3-year-old brother to hold a tomato… or an egg."
- "You can't trust dogs to watch your food for you."
- "Don't sneeze when somebody is cutting your hair."
- "You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk."
- "Never wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts… no matter how
cute the underwear is."
Now, it is virtually
certain that the children learned these "great truths" and came to
these bold new insights after some dramatic eye-opening experience in their own
personal lives. Can't you just see in your mind's eye…some children trying all
of those things and learning full well from that experience that this is just
not a good thing to do. The point is clear: A dramatic personal eye-opening
experience can give us new insight, new perception, new vision.
On a much deeper
level and on a much more positive level, that's precisely what we discover in
this amazing story in the Gospel of today. A man blind from birth has a
dramatic eye-opening experience with Jesus… and talk about new vision, talk
about new insight… he is completely and totally healed. He is made whole and he
comes back from the pool of Siloam with 20/20 vision,… able to see perfectly
for the first time in his life. His transformation is so complete and so
dramatic that he even looks a little different. The townspeople see him and say:
"Hey, isn't that the blind beggar? He can see now. Is that him? No, it's
just someone who looks like him. Couldn't be him," And the formerly blind
man says: "It's me alright. I am the man."
The Season of Lent
calls us to that time of encounter with Jesus – rooted in a personal moment
with Him where by we see more clearly. This encounter comes through such
experiences of Mercy as the Sacrament of Reconciliation which I hope you
participated in last week. It also comes in our outreach as we seek to help others
encounter Christ – especially those who have lost their sight. Maybe not their literal sight; but their
ability to see the light of hope, their vision of a future, their sight of a
world, a life, rooted in goodness and charity