This gospel brings to mind a Japanese tale of another man born blind. Being blind didn’t really bother him nor stop him from doing anything he wanted to do.
With age, he grew more confident in handling the world around him. His house was arranged so that he knew where each piece of furniture and utensil was placed. He knew where every street in the village was. He knew how to find his way to the market, the temple, and even neighboring villages. He would feel his way along, using what he could smell, hear, and touch as guides.
One day, he traveled to a neighboring village to dine with some friends. He had been there before, so getting there was easy enough. He and his friends dined and visited until late in the evening. As he prepared to leave, his host insisted that his blind friend take a lantern since there was no moon to light the way.
The blind man laughed at the idea. Had his host forgotten that the darkness didn’t bother him? There was an awkward silence, and then the host said, “It wasn’t you I was concerned about. The lantern is so that others who do not see well in the dark will see you on the path. This way, they won’t bump into you.”
The blind man had never thought of anyone else needing his light, so humbly, he took his friend’s lantern and headed home. As he felt his way, he savored the memories of their gathering. Without warning, someone slammed into him, causing him to fall. Startled, he spoke up, “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you see my lantern?” A voice replied, “Forgive me sir, but I saw no lantern. Your light must have gone out.” Each person then continued his journey. It is said that both men went home blind.
Because we can see, few of us ever think of ourselves as being blind and yet that is the point Jesus is making in this gospel passage. Besides physical blindness, there is also spiritual blindness. How blind are we to the wisdom of God’s ways?
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being spiritually blind to their sins, should he be rebuking us as well? we may think our eyes are open to God’s ways but are they?
Some of us, blinded by fear, are afraid we may fall out of favor if we stand up for what we believe is right, so we keep silent. We opt to take the path that ruffles the least feathers, as the saying goes, living our own lives quietly and safely and not getting involved in controversial matters. When we act this way, we blind ourselves to what is unfolding before our very eyes.
Many Catholics hesitate to speak out on immoral issues, convinced that it is not their business to tell others what to do. A good example would be the recent vote cast by 13 Catholic senators, including ours, to defeat an amendment that would have repealed the Obama mandate on abortion. On another note, how many parents try to persuade their children to refrain from sexual activity until they are married? Are they striving to serve as “the light of Christ” to show them how to live?
Again this weekend, Catholic parishes around the world are celebrating the scrutinies for those preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. We will be praying that the Lord frees them from the false values that surround and blind them, asking God to set them firmly in his truth to be a child of the light forever. For us who are already initiated into the faith, may that be our prayer also that we be freed from those false values that blind us from living as we ought to.
Our Lenten journey calls on us to embrace God’s truth so that we can make the choices we must with courage, insight and faith. Paul observes in his letter to the Ephesians, “You were once in 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.”
To gain his sight, the blind man in the gospel did as Jesus instructed. He went to the pool to wash the mud from his eyes. This brings about a radical change in him, enabling him to see the truth about Jesus and all that Jesus has to offer. Hopefully that will be the experience of every person who is baptized at the Easter Vigil and of every one of us who are already initiated into the Catholic faith as we renew our baptismal promises.
To help us see better, the Church offers us the sacrament of reconciliation. One priest, when giving a retreat for a community of retired nuns, was surprised to see how many had gathered to go to confession. “What sinfulness could these good women possibly be confessing?” he wondered. In reply, his spiritual director observed, “Sinfulness is part and parcel of all our lives, no matter who we are. The trick is to bring that sinfulness into the light so that we can experience God’s healing forgiveness deep down to the root of who we really are. We are children of the light. What the good sisters are doing is standing in the fullness of that light.”
This week, the opportunity will be provided for you to join those nuns in experiencing God’s healing forgiveness. Confessions will be heard at 7 PM on Tuesday evening at St. Augustine in Oak Harbor and here on Wednesday evening. All the priests who live on the island will be on hand both evenings to provide the opportunity for you to relight your lantern so that you indeed can be walking toward Easter as a child of the light.
In a few weeks at the Easter vigil, those present will hear the chant, “The light of Christ.” Healed of our spiritual blindness, we will let Christ be our light and see things more clearly and act more appropriately, having “no part in the fruitless works of darkness.” A good prayer for the remaining days of Lent would be to ask God to help us see Christ more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly.