Contents: Volume 2
-
4th Sunday of Lent
Year A
March 19, 2023
1. --
Lanie LeBlanc OP
2. --
Dennis Keller
3. --
4. --(Your
reflection can be here!)
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1.
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Lent 4 A 2023
Our readings this 4th Sunday of Lent are about darkness
and light. We all know that our Baptism connects us closely
with the Source of Light, Jesus. Staying connected to Jesus
and away from sin is our life's journey with lots of ups and
downs.
In thinking about coming out of darkness into the light
physically, lots of visuals flooded my brain. Sometimes we
put up our arms or hands in front of us to defend our
sensitive eyes from the sudden brightness. Sometimes we
squint. Sometimes we have to open closed eyes very slowly.
Sometimes we need sunglasses.
For me, it is the same kind of thing spiritually.
Although walking the journey closely with the Light of the
World is the best source of spiritual nourishment, I have to
go easy to accept the brightness. I need the God of multiple
chances to assist by allowing me to use spiritual
sunglasses. The God of Sunglasses gives me the graces I need
a little at a time, mixed-up with those inevitable times of
shade and blinking, to move ahead, one baby step at a time.
Yes, there is an occasional use of eye drops, too, and
tears.
What are your spiritual sunglasses? Some of mine include
prayer, Scripture, like-minded friends who encourage me, and
helping others on their journey by mentoring or walking with
them. I have to stop along the way to be sure I remember how
much I am loved/ nourished myself though, by the growth
potential aided by the Son. Sometimes the heat is a bit much
or I feel withered from the strain of life. A cold washcloth
reminds me that I am human... and sometimes I just have to
sit in the shade and watch God do it all. The vineyard does
not belong to me after all!
Blessings,
Dr. Lanie
LeBlanc OP
Southern
Dominican Laity
lanie@leblanc.one
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2.
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Fourth Sunday of Lent March 19, 2023
1st Samuel 16:1 & 6-7 & 10-13; Responsorial Psalm
23; Ephesians 5:8-14; Gospel Acclamation John 8:12; John
9:1-41
The first reading is interesting. It is written pretty
much the perspective of God directing Samuel to point a
replacement for the fallen King, the first king of Israel,
Saul. The main characters are Samuel, Jesse the father of
eight sons, seven sons who do not meet God’s expectations.
And then there’s a shepherd boy, a young lad who isn’t at
home but out in the mountain pastures watching the flock and
shagging stones with his sling. He’s only a boy, not yet a
man. David was surprised when called from watching his
father’s sheep. When he came into Samuel’s presence and had
oil poured on his head he must have a thought, "Hey this is
way cool!" The honor of being anointed for what he had
little to no understanding was a great ego trip. "Now let me
get back to the flock before the predators snatch away the
lambs." This was the beginning of success after success,
often followed by terrible decisions that caused others pain
and even death. But, it is clear from the Psalms and
Rabbinic literature, that this adolescent was God’s
instrument in unifying and advancing the faith of the
nation. A kid, chosen to be king, is a highly unlikely
choice. Certainly, the expectations of the nation were
ignored by God.
Expectations arising in human imagination are often
contradicted by God’s plan. David, not in his wildest
imaginings, ever thought of becoming the cherished leader of
his tribe, let alone the whole nation.
The events in the gospel this Sunday are during the seven
day feast of Tabernacles, in Hebrew called Succoth. That
celebration was the time of Succah. The Succah is a
temporary shelter, a tent, a hut used for a time; not a
permanent dwelling. This feast is a celebration, a
remembering of the time when Moses led the Hebrew tribes in
the forty year trek in the desert to the promised land. It
was also connected with the fall harvest. The connection of
the temporary dwelling commemorating the desert wanderings
to the harvest is that the tent dwellings brought the nation
to the promised land where the land brought forth food and
nourishment and permanency. It was a passing through, much
like later the Cross of Jesus is a passing through death to
resurrection. Here is a lesson for us. The suffering of
physical pain as on Calvary, and the suffering of
spirit/mental pain as in Gethsemane is a passing through for
us into mini-resurrections leading to our final resurrection
after passing through dying, through death into eternity.
Jesus, in the gospel narrative, is leaving the temple.
Because Succoth is one of the three pilgrimage feasts when
all who were able came to Jerusalem to worship and sacrifice
at the temple, it was a time when beggars gathered around
the temple for the almsgiving of pilgrims. Typically, Jesus
responds to a request for healing. It is strange that Jesus
responds to the man’s blindness. There is no plea from the
blind man or friends or family. The disciples see this man
and wonder aloud whether his blindness is because of his sin
or the sin of his parents. Any infirmity in the religious
culture prevalent in Judah was thought to be the result of
sin: the individual’s or the parents. Jesus puts that
misunderstanding to rest. The suffering of anyone – then and
now – is not necessarily retribution for sin. Jesus makes it
possible for us to avoid such judgements and thus respond
with mercy and compassion.
Jesus’ response to the disciples seems a loaded response.
It is more than, "No, his blindness is not about sin. It is
so that God’s works might be made visible through him."
There is more here than taking away physical blindness. Here
is a lesson plan for us – so that we may see the presence of
God in our midst. Jesus spits on the ground and makes mud, a
soggy mass of clay, and smears it on the blind man’s eyes.
This image calls to mind the story in Genesis of one of the
narratives humanity’s creation. God formed a figure of man
out of clay wetted by flowing water and breathed into that
lump his breath. Jesus sent this blind man to wash in the
pool of Siloam. That pool’s name is Siloam which means
"Sent." There is a double meaning here. The blind man is
sent. And Jesus is sent from the Father to heal human
blindness. That pool was used for ritual cleansing. Anyone
who was unclean because of violation of the laws of purity
would come to that pool and bath and be made clean of the
violation.
This man blind from birth is not named. Even though his
parents, his neighbors, and those who knew him as the blind
beggar would have a name for him. Yet his is unnamed so that
we who hear this narrative realize this is about our
blindness. We too are sent by the one Sent by the Father to
wash. We who have been baptized are washed of our attraction
to blindness that lacks truth. That is one of John’s
messages.
John wants us to know that the law of Moses is a starting
point. To clearly see the light we need to revert to our
creation – the Genesis story – and wash in waters that
purify us – Baptism. We also are sent. The story goes on.
The man is questioned by Neighbors and he answers, "The man
called Jesus did this." The man born blind doesn’t know
where Jesus is. That’s pretty much like us as we begin our
faith journey. We do not exactly know where to find Jesus.
The plan is that we move past this lack of knowledge.
He is questioned by the Pharisees. They claim that since
Jesus does not keep the Sabbath he is a sinner. The man born
blind’s response is straightforward. "How can a sinful man
do such signs." Then he adds, "He is a prophet."
His parents are questioned. They don’t want to become
involved and be excommunicated from the synagogue. So they
tell the questioners to ask their son since he is old enough
to testify. The Pharisees tell the man born blind they are
disciples of Moses. The man born blind responds that Jesus
is from God since the sight has never been given anyone born
blind. "If this man were not from God, he would not be able
to do anything." The man born blind comes to a new
understanding of Jesus, that he comes from God.
When the man encounters Jesus, Jesus asks about his
faith. The man responds he believes Jesus is the Son of Man,
a common title for the Messiah.
Here there is an evident progression. His first response
is "The Man Jesus." Secondly "he is a prophet. Third, "he is
from God." Fourth "he is the Son of Man." The fifth and last
response is not an answer to a question but to the light of
faith his experience brought him. The man born blind
worships Jesus. Only God can be worshipped. The fifth
response is the light of faith to which this man has been
led that Jesus is divine. Truly this is an enlightenment.
The light of God has dawned in this man’s spirit.
Jesus runs into the Pharisees who want his judgment.
"Surely we are not also blind, are we?" Jesus puts it back
to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now
you are saying, ‘we see,’ so your sin remains."
Our response, our take-away from this narrative brings us
to choices. Are experiencing faith as this man born blind?
Are we with the disciples looking to assign sin to another?
Are we neighbors who just walk away? Are we parents afraid
of losing our social standing by speaking truth? Are we the
man born blind who realizes gradually and continually a
greater understanding of Jesus and how he affects our
living? Are we patient enough to know that experiences bring
us to an ultimate relationship with God? Are we willing to
fall to our knees and worship?
The light of which Paul writes in the reading from
Ephesians has a commanding ending that is applicable to our
living. "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and
Christ will give you light." This reminds us of Jesus’
response when asked why he had come, what was the purpose of
his ministry, his preaching, his healing. "I came that you
may have life and have it fully." These last days of Lent
are for us to continue on our way, our pilgrimage to
fullness of life in the here and now and carried forward
into eternity.
Dennis
Keller
dkeller002@nc.rr.com
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3.
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4.
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