Scripture
“I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see.” John 9
Reflection
On the Fourth Sunday of Lent we read the Gospel of the man born blind. We hear of his healing, his ability to see, his conversion, his turning toward Jesus. Every Lent as we prepare for Easter, we are invited to reflect on this image of faith and conversion.
This year in the midst of the CoVid19 pandemic, when our lives and our familiar routines have been upended, disrupted, and threatened, we hover around the edges of fear and uncertainty as we practice social distancing and quarantining. Perhaps we are asking ourselves…Why is this happening? Why us? Why now? What are you trying to teach us, Lord? John’s Gospel challenges us to confront our own blindness. In what ways are we the man or the woman born blind? What are we to see, what blindness needs to be lifted from our eyes.
My own blindness keeps me comfortable and protected. We don’t have pandemics in the USA. It won’t happen to me. God, give me the strength and courage to face my own blindness, to open myself to transformation, to face the challenges of our times with realism and reliance on God’s ever present grace.
The hymn, “Open by Eyes Lord” by Jesse Manibusan is a prayer for this day.
“Open my eyes, Lord
Help me to see your face.
Open my eyes, Lord
Help me to see.”
And when our eyes are opened, we’ll see God’s face in places we have never known.
Practice
In the days before Easter, let us practice seeing God’s face in places we’ve never known.
Sr. Joan Scanlon O.P. Coordinator of Dominican Ministries