Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year C (2)

HoHomily for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year C

Theme: JESUS THE SACRAMENT OF GOD!

By: Fr. Augustine Ikechukwu Opara

Homily for Sunday March 27 2022
(1SAMUEL16:1B,6-7,10-13A; EPHISIANS5:8-14; JOHN 9:1-41)

Today is fourth Sunday of Lent

The word "Rejoice" written in black paint on a colorful watercolor washed background.

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year C

Theme: JESUS THE SACRAMENT OF GOD!

By: Fr. Augustine Ikechukwu Opara

Homily for Sunday March 27 2022

 

(1SAMUEL16:1B,6-7,10-13A; EPHISIANS5:8-14; JOHN 9:1-41)

Today is fourth Sunday of Lent called “Laetare” Sunday. This Sunday is marked by a relaxation from the penitential character of the Lenten season. This Sunday, the Holy Mother Church exhorts us to be joyful and relax because Christ our shepherd illuminates us and heals our blindness. This is expressed in the first word from the antiphon today- “Rejoice (Laetare-in Latin)”.

In the Gospel we see the two major classes of blindness, the physical blind man healed by Jesus and spiritual blind Jews who refused to see God’s wonderful work in Jesus and to recognize that Jesus came from God. The man who received his sight believed in Jesus, recognized Jesus as Lord, and prophet, and worshipped him. The Jews on the other hand did not believe in Jesus and were unrepentant. Therefore, they remained spiritually blind.
Spiritual blindness is when a person is unable to see due to the corruption of the mind by bias or prejudice and not listening to God’s signs and as such, loses sight of the truth. The person no longer follows the path of truth. The person can even go as far as silencing the truth. The person is in the dark. This does not in any way exclude prolonged indecision and unending procrastination. On the other hand, physical blindness is when a person is unable to see due to the corruption of the eye by some disease or deformity
We can identify some classes of spiritual blindness; Some people are blind to God’s goodness in their lives and even in others. Such people do not count their blessings. They only count their woes. They are always quick to complain about what is going wrong. They see a dark spot on a white sheet instead of a white sheet with a dark spot. All they see are the wrong things, and they don’t stop criticizing. They are never satisfied with what is available. It is as if such people are always propelled by some negative spirit.

Some people are blind to those in need of their help or blind to where their help is needed. Such people are self-righteous. There are those who are blinded by gifts they received. We have also people blinded by vices like anger, jealousy, envy, greed, lust, improper ambition, pride, stubbornness, and ignorance. Every spiritual blindness is a dwelling in darkness. What is needed is the light of Christ. All of us have one form of blindness or the other. With heart of repentance, let our prayer be like the prayer of the blind man in Luke 18:41, “Lord, that I may see again.”
Jesus used ordinary elements around us in nature to convey his healing power. Today He gave the gift of sight by using matter. And that is exactly what we do in every sacrament, outward sign of an inward grace. That is why sacraments are not given in proxy for instance you can never go for confession on phone. Unfortunately, when you try to explain this to people, they will say this priest is mean or even wicked because our age wants things the easy way. Well, that is a story for another day.

My dear friends, every time we receive the sacraments Jesus comes to us and there is a visible sign of Jesus coming to us invisibly through his sacrament. Just as the Holy Spirit came mightily upon David when he was anointed with oil by Samuel, and just as Jesus used clay and water for the healing of the blind man, Jesus comes to us in each sacrament when matter is used together with prayer, and we call the prayer the “form.” So, the matter and form of every sacrament is the visible sign of Jesus coming to us invisibly but powerfully in the sacrament to heal us either from the death of the soul through the sacraments of the dead: Baptism and sacrament of reconciliation (1John 5:16), or to strengthen us for our journey or empower us for services through the other five sacraments. We just need a little more praying and reflecting for light and listening to God’s signs.
God bless you!

Fr. Augustine Ikechukwu Opara

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