John 9: 1 – 41
Are you awake? Are you blind? Are you groping in the dark when there is light all around you? These are questions that I ask myself constantly. For though He came that we might have life and have it in abundance, many choose to die without living at all. This is the result of spiritual blindness.
Spiritual blindness reminds me of a story that exposes our human condition. This is the story of a homeless man whose dead body was found in a cold winter night close to an unlit fireplace. By his body was thousands of half burnt $100 bills. He had burnt over $5,000,000 trying to keep himself warm and all the while thinking that he was burning pieces of old newspapers. The burnt “papers” could not keep him warm, and so he died of cold. When we are spiritually blind, what is most valuable would be useless to us. I guess the homeless man would have be cursing God when his fire went out not knowing that his poor fuel, made up of $5,000,000, can buy him a house. He was blind to the value of what he was burning away. Am I like that? Am I blind to what I have? Am I burning away my gifts?
The Pharisees in today’s gospel were blind to healing presence of God in the life of a man born blind. They were blind to the presence of the Messiah. They were blind to the long awaited answer to the prayers of Israel for the one who will make all things new. They were blind to the actualization of their dreams. They were blind and therefore dead.
Jesus asked the blind man to go and wash himself in the pool of Siloam. That is what we are called to do. We have to wash ourselves and open our eyes to who we are and who we are called to be. We need to wake up from our sleep and rise from our deaths. Our night is over. Our darkness is gone.
Today I pray for all mothers. I pray for my mum and for yours. Mothers are one of God’s unique blessings, blessings that we are often blind to. May God bless all mothers today with joy that nothing can take away, as we celebrate Mother’s day (in Nigeria). May God bless you all!
Thank you Fr. I’m touched. Indeed darkness is gone its a new dawn of light to see God’s amazing grace. Happy mother’s day to all women.
God bless you Padre.
May we always be aware of the light around us. Amen.