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Gospel Reading for March 15, 2026 – John 9: 1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
TO ENTER OUR LIVES
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” — which means Sent —. So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is, “but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am. They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
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The reason we are able to see is that light enters our eyes and is processed by the brain. Without light, we would be unable to see. This is why we cannot see anything in total darkness.
The worst kind of blindness, however, is the blindness of the Pharisees. Who, instead of rejoicing that the blind man had received his sight, refused to see the goodness of what had happened. Rather than celebrating the miracle, they condemned Jesus, insisting that he could not be from God because he healed the man on the Sabbath—a day that should have been an occasion to rejoice in God’s marvelous deeds.
Jesus is the Light of the world. Unless we allow his light TO ENTER OUR LIVES, we too will fail to see the good that can emerge even in the midst of difficult events, such as what is happening today in the Middle East. Without his light, we may focus only on the tragic loss of lives, the suffering of war’s victims, the rising cost of fuel, and the many hardships that follow.
Yet, as the saying goes, God writes straight with crooked lines. Even in dire situations, some good can still emerge. We are reminded to turn to God in prayer and to ask for his help. We become more aware that wars and conflicts are truly terrible, and that people must learn to listen to one another and seek solutions that benefit all. We are led to appreciate and be grateful for the peace we currently enjoy. We are also reminded to be more responsible in our use of the earth’s resources, recognizing that fossil fuels will not last forever and that consuming less can help keep our air cleaner.
Let us continue to pray earnestly for this conflict to end, and for the leaders of the world to find lasting solutions so that tragedies like this may not happen again!
