March 26, 2017 4th
Sunday of Lent 1st
Reading: 1 S 16:1, 6–7, 10–13 2nd Reading: Eph 5:8–14 Gospel: Jn9:1–41 (or1, 6–9, 13–17, 34–38)
As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. He made paste with spittle and clay and rubbed it on the eyes of the blind man. Then he said, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” (…)
His neighbors and all the people who used to see him begging wondered. They said, “Isn’t this the beggar who used to sit here?” (…) The people brought (him) to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made mud paste and opened his eyes. The Pharisees asked him again, “How did you recover your sight?” And he said, “He put paste on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he works on the Sabbath”; but others wondered, “How can a sinner perform such miraculous signs?” They were divided and they questioned the blind man again, “What do you think of this man who opened your eyes?” And he answered, “He is a prophet.”
They answered him, “You were born a sinner and now you teach us!” And they expelled him.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
A story is told of a blind man who entered a convenience store with no guide but a lap dog. Upon entering the store the man picked up his dog and swung it around. When asked what he was doing, he answered: “Just looking around”.
It was brilliant of the blind man to have someone do the looking around for him. But getting the solution to the problem right is one thing, executing it correctly is another. He should have asked a friend to do the looking around for him.
The same can be said of spiritual blindness which sin perpetuates. Many sinners have remained spiritually blind even though they have gone to confession often. Blame it on the failure to make good resolutions. Going to confession without making concrete resolutions is contrition poorly executed, and the penitent is back to the same sins thereafter.
The penitent kneeling at the confessional box can safely rely upon Matthew 16:16ff (Jesus’ assurance to Peter that whatsoever sins he’d forgive on earth will be forgiven in heaven). But while sacramental confession will always forgive sins it cannot guarantee freedom from sin. Unless one makes a firm resolve to avoid occasions of sin every confession becomes prelude to another fall. We know that frequent falling is as bad at the spiritual level as it is at the physical. At the spiritual level it hurts one’s conscience and renders a person spiritually blind. When the blindness becomes permanent, the soul goes to the dogs!
–(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya?
I-type ang BANDERA REACT
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Bandera. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.