03/04/2011 - 4TH. SUNDAY IN LENTEN SEASON - Year A
1Reading 1Sam 16,1.4.6-7.10-13 Psalm 22 2Reading Eph 5,8-14 Gospel Jn 9,1-41
How many times it happened what the First Book of Samuel tells us today! You hear
a person who knows how to speak, how to explain the Bible, how to tell stories,
but God tells you: "Take no notice of his appearance, for I have rejected him;
God does not see as man sees". You see someone who knows to do everything,
who succeeds in all his actions, and God says: "Take no notice of his appearance,
for I have rejected him; God does not see as man sees". You meet with someone
who is very presentable, with a nice smile, with a invidious gentilness, ready to
do more than normal for others, and God says: "Take no notice of his appearance,
for I have rejected him; God does not see as man sees". What does God sees?
Are his eyes different from ours? "Man looks at appearances but the Lord looks
at the heart". The Lord sees if our heart is immersed in his, if our heart
is gracious and full of mercy like his, if our heart is free from selfishness, from
envy, from pride. The prophet Samuel was surprised of what God was telling him as
the sons of Jesse were passing by him. No even he knew beforehand the choices of
God and how they apply to those whom others did not consider.
The story of David's choice by God is to make us aware: we are very ready to judge...and
instead, often, those whom we judge out of place, are the most preferred. The disciples
of Jesus thought that the blind man was a sinner or son of sinners. Their judgement
blinded them about his sufferrings and kept away of him. Instead that blind man
is worthy to suffer for the Lord: because he gave witness to him; he was thrown
out of the Synagogue, rejected; his faith made him a model even to the disciples.
The Pharesees even dared to jugde Jesus, to take him as a sinner, one who does not
obey their law for they thought of their Law not as an indication to bring closer
to God man and to his love. The Sabbat was given as a gift to man so that he is
loved by God! Jesus saw the desire of the Father to love that blind man by opening
his eyes to see creation, and so he did not regarded an act of disobbedience to
heal him on the joyful day of God. He used the same dirt God used at the beginning
when he formed man. Then, the water the obedient blind man used to wash, cleansed
away not only the darkness of his sight, but also from his heart: he began to love
Jesus and was ready to accept him as his personal saviour.
The last question, a rethoric question put forward by the Pharesees, is a question
I want to ask myself: am I also blind? Given the fact that I don't see what God
sees, that I don't see with that love by which God sees my neighbour, given that
God chooses that which I would have never chosen, is a sign that me too risk to
be blind. It's only by grace that I can turn to Jesus and ask him to heal me as
he healed the blind man. It might seem strange to put dirt on eyes: is it an act
that could leave me blind for ever? For men, yes: men judge blind the believers
and despise them. But it's the one who do not believe who is blind, lacking the
wisdom of God. The believer, experiencing the love of the Father, rejoices, and
his joy turn to be generosity and gracious and faithful love. The life of the believer
becomes a gift to all, because his commitment to love is not based on his capacities
neither on the worthiness of the needed, but only on the great mercy of the Father.
And this thanks to Jesus!
St. Paul helps us by encouraging us to try to understand what pleases our God. Since
we can also be blind like all the rest, but now, thanks to the Lord Jesus, we have
in us the light of faith that generates love to men and love for eternal life. We
are able to live therefore differently than the models that are presented to us,
because we are able to discern evil and condemn it. This is why the world does not
want us as its own and hate us, but its our diversity that makes us a living word,
a significant and precious sign, tasty salt. Let us take the advantage of this Lenten
Season to feed ourselves abboundantly on the Word of God to be his gift to our world
which he loves and for which he want us to be light so that many see the way and
are saved from where they might have already perished.