Spiritual Life

Has Jesus healed me of my blindness?

This Sunday’s Gospel gives us the healing of the blind man. There is a back-and-forth dialogue in which the man, who was healed from his blindness, recounts the acts of Jesus. At one point the Pharisees ask him whether this Jesus is a man of God or a sinner. The healed man replies: “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

After they press this man further, he makes a proclamation that makes it clear: He is now a disciple and believer in Jesus Christ! The healing grace he has received leads him to proclaim the great work of Jesus Christ.

Has this moment happened to you? Physical healings are rare; however, through our participation in the sacramental life of the church, we have all received healing that is just as powerful (or even more so) as the man born blind. Our response should send us forth to proclaim the light that Jesus Christ brings to our souls.

Am I still blind? For some of us, maybe we have been going to Mass all these years, but have never acknowledged our sin and our blindness. We’ve become accustomed to living in the darkness and finding our way through life. Jesus invites each of us during this time of Lent to turn to him and receive his healing touch upon the eyes of our hearts. Cry out to him, “Lord, I want to see.” He will not meet us with condemnation – in the sacrament of confession, the Lord meets us as he did the woman at the well, the blind man and St. Peter himself: with mercy.

The blind man, the woman, St. Peter: Anyone who received the Lord’s forgiveness is sent out with an unmistakable evangelical zeal. Proclaiming the great work of Jesus Christ, they didn’t need any special training. They didn’t have to read through pamphlets and books. It was the pure joy of the Holy Spirit in their hearts that compelled them to proclaim to others his saving grace.

Am I sent forth from the sacrament of confession with this zeal? Let this be the Lent that the good Lord gives us this grace!

Father Joseph Sund is associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish in O’Neill, St. Joseph Mission in Amelia, Sacred Heart Parish in Boyd County, St. Boniface Parish in Stuart and St. Joseph Parish in Atkinson.

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