1 Sam. 16:6-7, 10-13a; Ps. 23:1-3a, 3b-6; Eph. 5:8-14; Jn. 9:1-41
Christ is the light of life and we are to “live as children of light”. So let us rejoice on this Laetare Sunday that reminds us our Lenten time is coming to an end. When Samuel anoints David “the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.” The Lord said to Samuel to fill his horn with oil and the Church continues the anointing with Holy oils in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination and anointing of the sick. We call upon the Holy Spirit to seal us and heal us that we may live with Christ as our light of life.
Soon we will be celebrating the sacrament of confirmation for some of our youths have prepared themselves for this great gift when the spirit of the Lord will rush upon them in the anointing with oil. The sacrament confirms us to be the light of life in the world. The Holy Spirit comes with its gifts to sanctify us but first it scrutinizes the soul to see that we are well prepared for the gift that will also be a calling to be used in the service of God. The scrutiny by the Holy Spirit is to measure out the gifts by our love of God, by our commitment to serve God, and by our cleansing of our sin.
The Holy Spirit is the sanctifier, makes us holy but only through the active practice of the gifts we receive. The gifts are to serve in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy to be a light in the darkness. The more the gift serves its purpose the more light it gives and the more we are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. However, as in the parable of the talents reveals what we do with our gifts will either be multiplied or be taken from us if we are complacent. This is why faith without works is dead and we risk suffering a slow death of our own.
As it says in the second reading “Christ will give you light”, the light of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom to discern the truth, understanding to have clarity of mind, counsel to speak for justice, fortitude to take right action, knowledge of the word of life, piety to worship in love, and fear of the Lord to remain faithful as he is faithful to us. Darkness is from the evil one who counters wisdom of right judgement with rationalization, instead of understanding of truth with confusion, instead of good counsel with spoken lies, instead of fortitude with fear of the unknown, knowledge is countered with false teachings, piety in devotion to God with narcissism, and instead of fear of the Lord brings on ignorance of God.
God says walk in my ways that you may be blessed but the world is filled with souls that follow their own ideas. Their hearts are hardened because as much as we believe we think for ourselves we are prone to follow ideas of others, ideas that are given to us from this world as they reflect the norm of what is acceptable to the world. God’s word is not a current idea but an eternal one. If we trust in him, he will guide us in right paths and “there is nothing I shall want” but to be with our Lord all the days of our life.
The light of Christ “produces every kind of goodness and righteousness, and truth.” The man born blind was a test of faith for the man but also for the Pharisees. The man was healed “so that the works of God might be made visible”. Jesus with saliva and clay demonstrated how God created humanity and gave it life and by this act he also claimed his identity as God the Son. The pool of Siloam was fed by the Gihon River which was thought to begin in Eden the place of Adam and Eve. Jesus now demonstrated not only a work of mercy but a claim to God to make all things new.
The blind man believed his eyes were opened to see because his eyes were “anointed”, that is the finger of God touched his eyes. The Pharisees with eyes that see were blind to the truth refusing to believe in the miracle or in Jesus. The blind man who now sees ministers to the Pharisees “God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him”. The Pharisees are offended by the truth. The man now with vision believed and worshiped the Son of Man.
Jesus said, “we have to do the works of the one who sent me”. This too is our call to do the works while it is still day. The night for Jesus was to be his passion and death as our night is also coming. We however rejoice because the light of life follows the darkness in the resurrection of Jesus and we believe in the promise of the resurrection. Our Easter day is coming, let us receive the light of life and be transformed into his image.
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