Reading I: 1 Samuel 16:1b.6-7.10-13a;
Psalm 23:I-3a.3b-4.5.6; Ephesians 5:8-14;
John 9:1,6,6-9,13-27,34-8(1-41.) Full Readings
About the forth Sunday (Laetare Sunday)
The opening antiphon shows the name of the Sunday, "Rejoice, Jerusalem and all who love her. Be joyful all who were mourning, exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast." Laetare means Rejoice and therefore this Sunday is known as Laetare Sunday and is a Sunday of joy. Lent is half over, and Easter is enticingly near.
The Church’s liturgy, on this the fourth Sunday of Lent, invites us to retrace one of the fundamental dynamics of our baptismal re-birth through the Gospel account of the healing of the ‘man born blind’. It is the passage from the darkness of sin and error to the Light of God, who is the Risen Christ.
This Sunday was formerly called "Laetare Sunday" since its mood and theme was one of hope and rejoicing that Easter was near. In the reformed calendar this Sunday is not different from the other Sundays of Lent even though the entrance antiphon for the day still begins with the Latin word "laetare" and the vestments worn by the celebrant are rose-colored, not violet. The day is important because it is the day of the second scrutiny in preparation for the baptism of adults at the Easter Vigil. Laetare Sunday is often compared to Gaudete Sunday
Reflection.
Brethren as we already introduced today's Gospel which is about washing in the river by a blind man invites us to the renewal and remembrance of our baptismal promises so that we should walk in the light of God as invited in the second reading. The past Sunday's have been inviting us to repent, leave our old ways, leave the actions of darkness to walk in the light of God and return to God, and this Sunday is then inviting us to put into action what we have been invited to do through our actions, in complete goodness, right living with others and God and in full truth.
In the first Reading we see David being anointed unexpectedly to his father and also his brothers. David was a shepherd, very young and not even energetic to be the anointed one of God according to human understanding, but to God who sees the heart, he was the rightful person. He would be the shepherd of his people on behalf of God and they would lack nothing as the responsorial psalm puts it, the Lord is my shepherd there is nothing I shall want.
The anointing of David also points to the anointing of the Messiah Jesus Christ, David after being anointed the Spirit of the Lord remained upon him, and so was this to Jesus who was anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism. This anointment presupposes a mission to undertake, the mission of God, for David was to be a king over his people and for Jesus to save his people. As Christians we were all anointed at baptism, confirmation and even some at ordination meaning we are given a special mission to undertake, and so how far have we gone with our mission, and how have we lived our mission in the way of light and pure of heart.
As we have, in fact, heard in the first reading ‘God does not see as human beings see; they look at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart.' (1 Sam 16:76). The Lord pointed out in this way the true, unique, criteria on which a people are judged. He also indicated the unique place in which man can meet God’s gaze and enter into a relationship with Him—in his heart. It is in our heart that we meet God, he speaks to us to do good and invites us to walk in light, live in light, and walk in truth as the second reading invites us. Obviously, by the word ‘heart’ the Bible doesn’t mean the centre of pulsation, but man’s conscience where he can really listen and recognise God’s voice and so benefit from the Light: ‘for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and uprightness and truth’. (Eph 5:9) It's what is in the heart that we see outside.
The other significance of second reading today is for the Sunday liturgy of the second scrutiny which emphasizes clearly that the preparation of a person coming to the faith is one of moral formation as well as in-formation about the faith. The preparation of adults to be baptized has more to do with choices and deeds than it does with dogmatic teaching. Therefore it's an invitation for people to be baptised to choose through their conscience what is good and to accept the light of God and to walk in it. This is the first time the reading of light and darkness appears in Lent which points to the light of Easter and conquering darkness.
The Gospel reading today is unique to this Sunday, the healing of blind man and washing in the pool of Siloam (sent). Jesus heals the blind man and restores sight to him an indication that he has been exposed to the light of God . It's an invitation for him to walk and keep in that light and to believe in the power of God.
We too have been exposed to the light of Christ, but most times we prefer darkness than light, we become incapable of remaining faithful to the truth that is in him, we fall back to our own limited criteria. This criteria produces every malice, injustice and falsehood and is used to govern ourselves, to decide between good and evil, whilst hoping that what we obtain will be to our benefit and so in this way he acts ‘like God’ (Gen 3:5). This is totally walking in darkness and blindness we have.
“Blindness” is our inability to see the hand of God at work all around us. We struggle to see the daily miracles of God’s grace alive in our lives and alive in the lives of others. So the first thing we should do with this Scripture is strive to see our lack of sight. We should strive to realize that we so often do not see God at work. This realization will inspire us to desire a spiritual healing. It will invite us to want to see God at work. Our Prayer thus should be Lord I want to see and be washed purely of all my iniquities.
It's for this reason that the church on this Sunday invites us to start a new journey of light which will take us to the light of Easter. By remembering our baptismal promises, we deny everything related to Satan and so walk in the light of Christ. To walk in this light we have to emulate Christ by: doing the right thing in line with God our father, being truthful and exposing that which comes from darkness, desisting from taking part in the unfruitful works of darkness and stop judging others even by their appearances. In this way we are making ourselves ready for the light of Easter.
We pray for the spiritual sight that we may be able to walk in light and shun all acts of evil and darkness. We pray that the Lord may come to us and dwell within us and enlighten the depths of our hearts so that we may be pleasing to him and also be a source of enlightenment to others. May God be our shepherd where we will lack nothing. Amen
Blessed Laetare Sunday and quick relief from burden if Corona Virus.
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