Gospel: The Man Who Was Born Blind

Today marks the Fourth Sunday of Lent (or what the Church calls the Laetare Sunday) and the reading is lifted from the Gospel According to St John where Jesus was asked by his disciples of who sinned upon seeing a man and beggar who was born blind. In Jewish belief, anyone who has sickness is considered to be a sinner and being punished by God. So they asked Jesus if it was the man or his parents who sinned for him to be born blind. But Jesus said to them that it was nobody's sin that the man was born blind but he was born that way so that he can experience God's miracles.

Jesus then spat on the ground, make a mud out of it, and applied it to the blindman's eyes. Then Jesus instructed him to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloe (which means, Sent) and then he gained his sight. Upon seeing the miracle, his neighbors brought him to the Pharisees to be questioned. There was division among them. Some say the miracle was not from God because it was the Sabbath when Jesus healed the person. But others say he cannot perform miracles if he was a sinner.

This Gospel reiterates Jesus' teachings that He is the light of the world. He came to bring light to everyone. There are people who are spiritually blind, and born in a family where darkness abound. When we experience trials in life, God allows them to happen so that God can manifest Himself to us, and heal us. Everything that brings sorrow or sadness or loneliness is part of God's plan so that we will know how to believe, and who to believe.

This Lent, allow God to open our eyes and let us see what really matters. Examine our conscience and reflect. Always remind ourselves that no matter circumstances that we were born into this world, if we seek God with all of our heart, He will find us. And when He does, Jesus will bring joy to our soul. Let us quench our spiritual thirst, together, in prayers, charity, and sacrifice.

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Picture from Pixabay.