Mar 24, 2014
1 Samuel 16:1,
6-7, 10-13
Psalm 23:1-6
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
God's ways of seeing are not our ways, we hear in today's First
Reading. Jesus illustrates this in the Gospel - as the blind man
comes to see and the Pharisees are made blind.
The blind man stands for all humanity. "Born totally in sin" he is
made a new creation by the saving power of Christ.
As God fashioned the first man from the clay of the earth (see
Genesis 2:7), Jesus gives the blind man new life by
anointing his eyes with clay (see John
9:11). As God breathed the spirit of life into the first
man, the blind man is not healed until he washes in the waters of
Siloam, a name that means "Sent."
Jesus is the One "sent" by the Father to do the Father's will (see
John
9:4; 12:44).
He is the new source of life-giving water - the Holy Spirit who
rushes upon us in Baptism (see John
4:10; 7:38-39).
This is the Spirit that rushes upon God's chosen king David in
today's First Reading. A shepherd like Moses before him (see
Exodus
3:1; Psalm
78:70-71), David is also a sign pointing to the good
shepherd and king to come - Jesus (see John
10:11).
The Lord is our shepherd, as we sing in today's Psalm. By his death
and Resurrection He has made a path for us through the dark valley
of sin and death, leading us to the verdant pastures of the kingdom
of life, the Church.
In the restful waters of Baptism He has refreshed our souls. He has
anointed our heads with the oil of Confirmation and spread the
Eucharistic table before us, filling our cups to overflowing.
With the once-blind man we enter His house to give God the praise,
to renew our vow: "I do believe, Lord."
"The Lord looks into the heart," we hear today. Let Him find us, as
Paul advises in today's Epistle, living as "children of light" -
trying always to learn what is pleasing to our
Father.