See with New Eyes

March 30, 2025

The Gospel for this Sunday (from the readings for Year A) is the story of the man born blind. It is paired with the account of Samuel being sent to the home of Jesse to choose the next King of Israel. This reading, too, is about blindness and seeing. The second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians deals with a similar theme—that of light and darkness.
   
Jesus is in Jerusalem and comes to the Temple area, where He sees the man born blind. Jesus says that He is the light of the world, and as such, rubs mud made from clay onto the man’s eyes, and he is healed, he can see. From that point, the focus of the story shifts to the Pharisees who are shocked that Jesus has healed the man on the Sabbath, which was forbidden. Rather than rejoice with this man who has had a remarkable healing, they get bent out of shape over the violation of the Sabbath.
   
As the story unfolds it becomes about the fact that this man who was blind can see, and the Pharisees are spiritually blind. The man recognizes Jesus as one sent by God, and even as the Messiah, but the Pharisees are blind to this fact.

This story challenges us to ask about our own spiritual sight or blindness. Am I able to see the hand of God at work in my life, and in the world? Can I see those who are different from me, in terms of religious belief, political point of view, race or nationality, as my brothers and sisters in Christ? Can I see with the eyes of faith that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ? Can I see the unborn as human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, and beloved of God as His sons and daughters?
   
Or are we blinded to these truths revealed to us by God and taught by the Catholic faith? Do our own attitudes and prejudices blind us to these realities?
   
As Jesus healed the man born blind so that he could see, Christ wants to heal you and me of those spiritual defects that keep us spiritually blind.
—Fr. Mike Comer