Sunday – 4th Week of Lent – A

In today's first reading from the First Book of Samuel, we hear about the calling of King David. The prophet Samuel goes to the house of Jesse, David's father, knowing through divine inspiration that one of his sons is the chosen one who will be king over Israel. Jesse begins presenting to Samuel the most likely candidates, the strongest and most impressive sons in the eyes of the world.

But the Lord says through Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature… for not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

One by one the sons pass before Samuel, yet none of them is chosen. Finally Jesse says that there is still the youngest son, the one who is tending the sheep. Samuel replies, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here” (1 Samuel 16:11).

When David arrives, the Lord says: “Anoint him, for this is the one” (1 Samuel 16:12). Then Samuel takes the horn of oil and anoints him in the presence of his brothers. And from that day forward, “the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David” (1 Samuel 16:13).

My brothers and sisters, in today's Gospel we are also presented with spiritual vision and how important it is to see things clearly—to see things as God sees them, not merely as we see them.

Our Lord passes by and sees a man blind from birth. His disciples ask him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2).

This reflects the way we often think. When someone suffers, we assume it must be punishment for sin. But Jesus answers: “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him” (John 9:3).

Then our Lord makes clay with his saliva, spreads it on the man's eyes, and says to him: “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” (John 9:7), which means “Sent.”

The man obeys. He goes, washes, and comes back able to see.

The people are astonished. Some say, “Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?” Others say that it only looks like him. But he says plainly, “I am.”

And when they ask him how his eyes were opened, he replies that Jesus made clay, anointed his eyes, and told him to wash in the pool.

Notice something very important: the man receives sight after he does what Jesus asks him to do.

And this is key for our Lenten journey. The more we listen to the Word of God—the more we follow the Lord's instructions to forgive, to love, to serve, to pray—the more clearly we begin to see reality through the eyes of God.

But when Jesus' persecutors question the man who has been healed, they cannot see beyond their prejudice and jealousy. They say: “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath” (John 9:16).

In other words, they believe that helping someone on the Sabbath is wrong—even if it brings healing and peace.

You see how twisted our thinking can become when our hearts are closed to the Spirit of God.

My brothers and sisters, we must learn to see as God sees and to think as God thinks—not as men think.

We remember the moment when Jesus told the apostles that he would go to Jerusalem to suffer. Peter immediately protested. And Jesus responded: “Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23).

Suffering, when united to Christ, can redeem us. Our penances orient our lives toward eternity.

Our vision must extend beyond this world—beyond mere material existence—to the reality of heaven that awaits us, where we will be with God and with those we love forever.

This is the vision we must embrace: the vision of God.

And it begins here.
It begins now.
It begins today.

May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Go in peace.