H O M I L Y

One of the important themes of John's Gospel is that Jesus is the Light of the World.

The revelation that Jesus is the Light of the World is made not only in words and discourses, but through historical events: the Incarnation itself, to start with; then the life, the passion and the death of Jesus; but also through miracles. The healing of the man who was blind by birth expresses very concretely that the revelation of Jesus as Light of the World constitutes also a judgement of the world ‑‑ in that sense that each one has to make a choice ‑‑ the choice of accepting or refusing that light.

It would seem that the only natural thing to do when light is offered is to accept it. But we all know that it is not that simple. Are they not a lot of things in us and around us that we prefer not to be brought to light? This Gospel which we just heard gives a striking demonstration of the two attitudes: the one of a very simple blind man who obviously has nothing to loose and nothing to defend, and that of the Pharisees, who need to control in what recesses of their hearts and of their lives they will allow the light to penetrate.

A great simplicity of heart is required to receive the light from Christ and to be able to share it with others. How clear and simple is the answer the man born blind gives to the Pharisees when they asked about his cure! : "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went and washed and received my sight". (John 9:11). The fact is so obvious that he does not care for explanations. The Pharisees, on the contrary, care so much for the explanations, that they miss the obvious facts.

Throughout his earthly sojourn Jesus made it clear by word and actions that he was the light of the world and the prince of life. The Kingdom he was destined to inaugurate was already present in his person. Wherever he went, darkness and death were forced to recoil. He cured the blind (as we see in this morning Gospel) and raised Lazarus to life (as we will see in next Sunday's Gospel). All creation was touched by this incarnation of Light and Life.

Through baptism we have become light; that is, we have been wakened from the dead and enlightened by Christ. The statement is not vaguely poetic; it is real and a source of joy, but it also brings serious obligations. It is no easy matter to be, with Christ, a light for the world. Yet such is the responsibility of the entire Church and of each one of us.

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READING I 1 Sm 16, 1. 6-7. 10-13

The Lord said to Samuel: "I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons."

As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is here before him." But the Lord said to Samuel: "Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart." In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any one of these." Then Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here." Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The Lord said, "There -- anoint him, for this is he!" Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.

READING II Eph 5, 8-14

There was a time when you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Well, then, live as children of light. Light produces every kind of goodness and justice and truth. Be correct in your judgment of what pleases the Lord. Take no part in vain deeds done in darkness; rather, condemn them. It is shameful even to mention the things these people do in secret; but when such deeds are condemned, they are seen in the light of day, and all that then appears is light. That is why we read:

"Awake, O sleeper,

arise from the dead,

and Christ will give you light."

GOSPEL Jn 9, 1-41

As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, was it his sin or his parents' that caused him to be born blind?" "Neither," answered Jesus:

"It was no sin, either of this man or of his parents.

Rather, it was to let God's works show forth in him.

We must do the deeds of him who sent me while it is day.

The night comes on

when no one can work.

While I am in the world

I am the light of the world."

With that Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with his saliva, and smeared the man's eyes with the mud. Then he told him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam." (This name means "One who has been sent.") So the man went off and washed, and came back able to see.

His neighbors and the people who had been accustomed to see him begging began to ask, "Isn't this the fellow who used to sit and beg?" Some were claiming it was he; others maintained it was not but someone who looked like him. The man himself said, "I'm the one, all right." They said to him then, "How were your eyes opened?" He answered: "That man they call Jesus made mud and smeared it on my eyes, telling me to go to Siloam and wash. When I did go and wash, I was able to see." "Where is he?" they asked. He replied, "I have no idea."

Next, they took the man who had been born blind, to the Pharisees. (Note that it was on a sabbath that Jesus had made the mud paste and opened his eyes.) The Pharisees, in turn, began to inquire how he had recovered his sight. He told them, "He put mud on my eyes. I washed it off, and now I can see." This prompted some of the Pharisees to assert, "This man cannot be from God because he does not keep the sabbath." Others objected, "If a man is a sinner, how can he perform signs like these?" They were sharply divided over him. Then they addressed the blind man again: "Since it was your eyes he opened, what do you have to say about him?" "He is a prophet," he replied.

The Jews refused to believe that he had really been born blind and had begun to see, until they summoned the parents of this man who now could see. "Is this your son?" they asked, "and if so, do you attest that he was blind at birth? How do you account for the fact that he now can see?" His parents answered, "We know this is our son, and we know he was blind at birth. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we have no idea. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself." (His parents answered in this fashion because they were afraid of the Jews, who had already agreed among themselves that anyone who acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of age -- ask him.")

A second time they summoned the man who had been born blind and said to him, "Give glory to God! First of all, we know this man is a sinner." "I would not know whether he is a sinner or not," he answered. "I know this much: I was blind before; now I can see." They persisted: "Just what did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" "I have told you once, but you would not listen to me," he answered them. "Why do you want to hear it all over again? Do not tell me you want to become his disciples too?" They retorted scornfully, "You are the one who is that man's disciple. We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man comes from." He came back at them: "Well, this is news! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not hear sinners, but that if someone is devout and obeys his will he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever gave sight to a person blind from birth. If this man were not from God, he could never have done such a thing." "What!" they exclaimed, "You are steeped in sin from your birth, and you are giving us lectures?" With that they threw him out bodily.

When Jesus heard of his expulsion, he sought him out and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" "You have seen him," Jesus replied. "He is speaking to you now." ["I do believe, Lord," he said, and bowed down to worship him. Then Jesus said:]

"I came into this world to divide it,

to make the sightless see

and the seeing blind."

Some of the Pharisees around him picked this up, saying, "You are not counting us in with the blind, are you?" To which Jesus replied:

"If you were blind

there would be no sin in that.

'But we see,' you say,

and your sin remains."