Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 03-06-05, Laetare Sunday

March 6, 2005
Fourth Sunday of Lent

Psalm: Sunday 13

Reading I
1 Sam 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.

From: 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13b

David is Anointed

[1b] The Lord said to Samuel, "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."

[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." [13] 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. And Samue rose up and went to Ramah.

Commentary:

16:1-31:13. This, the last section of 1 Samuel, begins with an account of
the gradual decline of Saul until his eventual death in the battle of Gilboa
against the Philistines (chap. 31); it also deals with the tortuous and
sometimes slow rise to power of the new king, David. Strictly speaking, this
section should also take in the final chapter of 2 Samuel. From a literary
point of view we can see that the text is very much in the style of a court
chronicle focusing only on episodes in which the kings play the leading
role. Many of the events covered here are repeated twice--for example,
David's entry into Saul's service (16:14-23; 18:1-2), Saul's attempt on
David's life (18:10-11; 19:9-10), Saul's promise to give David his
daughter's hand in marriage (18:17-19; 18:20-27), Jonathan's pleading on
David's behalf (19:1-7; 20:25-34), David's flight (19:10-18; 20:1-21) and
the opportunity he gets to take Saul's life (24:7-8; 26:11-12). All this
goes to show that the editor has used material from a variety of sources and
not made any great effort to merge them properly.

In the episodes recounted here there are few religious references, whereas
the tensions between Saul and David are exposed in all their starkness; in
fact, even though these chapters deal with the most famous of kings, David,
and stress God's special love for him, no effort is made to gloss over his
failings and transgressions (contrary to what happens in 1 and 2
Chronicles). David comes across as a shrewd politician, capable of allying
himself with the eternal enemies of his people, the Philistines, in order to
save himself (chap. 27); as a usurper of Saul's throne (chaps. 19 and 21);
as a man of strong passions capable of slaughter on a grand scale (21:12;
22:17) and other human weaknesses (18:17-27; 25:32-44), yet capable, too, of
great loyalty to the Lord's anointed king (chaps. 24-26) and to his own
friends (chap. 20). So, these accounts expose the most human side of the
personalities involved, but they also allow us to see that the Lord God of
Israel is the main protagonist even though he is in the background--mainly
because it is he who chooses David and stays with him, from the first moment
that he enters the picture (16:1) and through all the crises of his career:
witness the constant refrain "the Lord is with him" (16:18; 18:14, 28).
Saul, David and the rest of the players in this history are not guided by a
blind destiny: they are all playing their part in God's plan of salvation
The great lesson contained in these accounts is that the Lord does not
normally intervene by way of miracles or amazing actions; he guides the
course of history through lights and shadows until he attains his key
objective--to make himself known to all mankind and lead it to salvation.
The other great lesson is that this salvific history steadily advances,
amidst ups and downs--acts of heroism, human weaknesses--until it reaches
its fully developed stage in Jesus Christ.

16:1-13. 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).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Ephesians 5:8-14

Walking in the Light

[8] 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, O 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. Matthew 5:14-16;
John 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, everything
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, 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. Hebrews 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 begins. 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. Hebrews 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" ([Pope] 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).

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Father of peace, we are joyful in your Word, your Son Jesus Christ, who reconciles us to you. Let us hasten to our Easter with the eagerness of faith and love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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March 06, 2005

Fourth Sunday of Lent

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."

This Sunday was formerly called "Laetare Sunday" since its mood and theme was one of hope and rejoicing that Easter was near. In the reformed calendar this Sunday is not different from the other Sundays of Lent even though the entrance antiphon for the day still begins with the Latin word "laetare" and the vestments worn by the celebrant are rose-colored, not violet. The day is important because it is the day of the second scrutiny in preparation for the baptism of adults at the Easter Vigil.

The Station at Rome is in the basilica of Holy Cross in Jerusalem, one of the seven principal churches of the holy city. It was built in the fourth century, by the emperor Constantine. The emperor's mother, St. Helen, enriched it with most precious relics, and wished to make it the Jerusalem of Rome.

Sunday Readings
The first reading, first Book of Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a,l contains, at best, oblique references to the other two readings. The anointing of David as king may be a reference to the anointing in the responsorial psalm both of which may refer to Christ the good shepherd. The figure of David may also be a prefigurement of the anointing to Messiahship of Jesus for his mission. Whatever the reason for its selection for this day, the theme of the liturgy is better reflected in the other two readings for they present implications and applications of the baptism of the believer.

The reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 5:8-14 is particularly significant because throughout the season of Lent the community has been urged to cast aside deeds of darkness and walk in the brilliance of the light of Christ. In this reading, for the first time during Lent, the darkness-light theme which will be so predominant at Easter is enunciated. The believer must leave the deeds of darkness and live according to the justice and truth of God through the light of Christ. The selection of this reading for the Sunday liturgy of the second scrutiny emphasizes dearly that the preparation of a person coming to the faith is one of moral formation as well as in-formation about the faith. The preparation of adults to be baptized has more to do with choices and deeds than it does with dogmatic teaching.

The gospel reading, John 9:1-41, dominates the liturgy by the length of the reading and its significance. The miracle story of healing the man born blind is amplified in typical Johannine style by references and explanations about light, water, and Jesus' origins. The reference to Christ as the light of the world and to the symbolism of water as new birth is clear, for in his death and resurrection the sightless see eternal truths, and the "seeing" become blind because their former sight according to the vision of the world is now changed to the vision of Christ.

The discussion about Jesus' origins is a typical Johannine approach: if we know his parents, why can't we keep him under control? The point of the author is that if we ask this question we do not know his true origins at all for he is from above and to follow him where he goes requires a new birth for the believer.

The theme of light pervades the liturgy of the word; a light that is not a possession to be contained, but a gift which clarifies and illuminates the things of this world so that we do not rely upon human powers for our salvation, but acknowledge the divine origins of our Savior. — A Celebrants Guide to the New Sacramentary - A Cycle by Kevin W. Irwin

From Catholic Exchange

by Fr. Paul de Ladurantaye

Other Articles by Fr. Paul de Ladurantaye

Laetare Sunday

03/05/05

Toward the beginning of this week’s gospel text, Jesus states what His mission is: "We have to do the works of the One Who sent me." Being sent by the Father, Jesus must do the Father’s works.


The works of God are principally three: creation, redemption and sanctification. Each of these is displayed in our gospel passage about the man born blind. It certainly was possible for Jesus to cure the man’s blindness without touching him at all. A word would have been enough. Yet, Christ’s act of making clay with His saliva and then smearing that clay on the man’s eyes recalls that moment in the book of Genesis when God formed the first man out of the clay of the earth (Gn 2:7). In other words, Christ’s healing of the blind man is a kind of re-creation. Once his eyes have been smeared with clay, the blind man goes to wash in the pool of Siloam and comes back "able to see." The washing liberates him from the night of blindness; that is, he has been redeemed by the Light of the World — a redemption that allows this man to participate in and benefit from the power of divine light. The washing itself recalls baptism — that moment when we receive the light of faith and of grace as we are washed clean in the sacramental waters of the baptismal font. The Apostle John informs us that the man came back able to see, but he has not yet actually seen Christ. When he is asked where Jesus is, the man replies, "I do not know." It is only later, after the man has been thrown out of the synagogue by the Pharisees, that Jesus takes the initiative to go and find him. Having been re-created and redeemed, all that is left is for this man to be sanctified. Sanctification consists in "seeing" Jesus. And seeing Jesus requires our interior communion with Christ, a personal relationship of love with Him and being touched by the Holy Spirit so that we can understand the inner meaning of Christ’s words and actions. Upon seeing Jesus, the formerly blind, but now sanctified, man receives the gift not only of physical sight, but also the gift and sight of faith: "'I do believe, Lord,’ and he worshiped Him." Early on in this gospel episode, Jesus insists that the man was born blind "so that the works of God might be made visible through him." Before his encounter with Jesus, everything was "invisible" to the blind man. His condition was one of physical and spiritual darkness. Now, after his healing encounter, and through his re-creation, redemption and sanctification, the man who once was blind is able to manifest in himself the very saving power of God. Each of us is, in a way, like the blind man in the Gospel: sometimes, we deliberately close our eyes to the Light of Christ; other times, we simply are unable to see as we should. This Lent, the healing of the blind man that the Gospel records should remind us all that when we reject the blinding rebellion of the devil and submit obediently to Christ’s re-creating, redeeming and sanctifying power, we will become lights ourselves: That is, we become those in whom the Father’s works gloriously appear. That is the true joy of this Laetare Sunday. Fr. De Ladurantaye is director of the Office of Sacred Liturgy, secretary for diocesan religious education, a professor of theology at Notre Dame Graduate School and in residence at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Virginia. (This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

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