The Man born Blind;The Anointing of David as King

Today is  Laetare Sunday, the forth Sunday of Lent , Laetare refer to the first word of the introit of the Latin mass which means rejoice, we rejoice today in the mercy and goodness of Almighty God.

The works of the Lord are directed toward our salvation in ways that are unexpected, unforeseen and which come suddenly. For our part we are to remain steadfast in our faith in Him. And we must continue to do our duty in patience and perseverance. We have two examples of that today, one in the first reading from First Samuel and the second from the Gospel.

In the first book of Samuel the Lord told him:”fill your horn with oil and be on your way I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have chosen my king from among his sons.

Jesse came to the sacrifice with seven of his sons. Samuel thought that the selection would be self evident and easy. But it was not. The anointed was not present among them. Men judge by appearances but God judges the heart. There was still the youngest, David, who was  in the hills tending the sheep. Samuel asked Jesse to call him in, and when he arrived the Lord said: “There, anoint him for this is the one.”

"The first shall be last and the last shall be first."

David was a boy, a young man; he was a shepherd of sheep and goats enjoying the peace and tranquility of the countryside. Where he could be close to God and could pray. The 150 Psalms of the Old Testament are attributed to the authorship of King David.

The Israelites in Judea were threatened by the Philistines in the area now called Gaza, Goliath, the giant, their biggest and strongest man challenged the Jews to send out one man to contest with him. The loser would be the cause of the enslavement of his people to the victor.

When the Israelites heard this challenge, they were terrified, but young David said he would go, and Saul put his amour on David and gave him his sword. But David laid aside all this, and instead took five smooth stones from the river putting them in his pouch and advanced toward Goliath with his sling shot.

When Goliath saw this unarmed man he ridiculed him. David took one of the stones and putting it in the sling shot hurled it at the giant and hit him in the forehead killing him instantly. David took the giant’s sword and cut off his head.

The five smooth stones were David’s only weapons. They can be compared to the seven cardinal virtues which are the only defense we need as Christians to go against our enemy, the devil. The first three are the theological virtues of faith, hope and love. With these we can discern the will of God by our constant faith in Him. By our hope in His promises, especially of eternal life and the resurrection of the body on the last day, and of God’s love for us in which we can love Him and can also love our neighbor for His sake. The four moral virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. The sign posts of a balanced life.

These Cardinal virtues, like David’s smooth stones, in addition to the Ten Commandments are the foundation for finding God’s favor in all we do, plus sanctifying grace which we should guard as our highest treasure.

In the Gospel Jesus in passing by saw a man blind from birth. All through his life he was looked down on and shamed. Because it was thought he was afflicted and handicapped because he was a sinner. They also thought Jesus was a sinner because he cured the blind man on the Sabbath.

The people questioned the man and his parents at length trying to prove the cure was a trick or that the man was not really blind at all.

They asked the man how it happened, he said quite simply, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed and now I can see.” They threw him out and when Jesus heard of it he found him and asked him:”Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man said:”Who is he that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said: “The one who is speaking with you is he.” The man said “I do believe, Lord.”

How easy it was for the man cured of his blindness to believe and how impossible for the others.

The blind are made to see through grace and faith in Jesus and the seeing are made blind by their reliance only on themselves and their opinions.

St. Paul today says:”Live as children of light for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness. Awake O Sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.”

The disciples asked Jesus in the Gospel, “Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parent that he was born blind?”

Jesus reply is instructive, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.”

Many of our fellow human beings are handicapped in one way or the other. And they often are avoided out of embarrassment, not realizing that the challenged need love and acceptance and respond to that as does everyone else. In fact, it is love that we all hunger for. The receiving of it can’t be experienced without our giving it.

In my parish of St. Joseph in Commerce where I served for eight years there was a family with two young sons. One of whom was a Down’s syndrome. He had a hard time communicating but as he grew he received his first Holy Communion and finally confirmation. When he received communion he would look lovingly at the sacred host and say “I believe.”

One Sunday during my homily, I noticed him leaning his head on his father’s shoulder and crying. Afterward I asked his mother if I had said something that upset him. She said:”No. It’s just that when he studies Christ on the cross behind you he is so sad by what Jesus suffered.” Those with Down’s syndrome are the most loving of people.

Jesus was shunned and rejected and embarrassed people and yes, on the cross he too was handicapped.

The Lord Jesus deals with us in various and Sundrie ways and by testing and trials forms us to be like Him. It is by his stripes that we are healed. It is in the unexpected, unforeseen and sometimes sudden events of our lives in which God makes visible His works.