This Sunday we continue the journey through the vivid stories in John's Gospel, and through the Scrutinies for our Elect, with the Healing of the Man Born Blind.

The story begins with Jesus discussing sin's relation to illness, reflecting the common understanding at the time of disability as a punishment for sin. Upon stating that the man's being born blind has nothing to do with sin, Jesus performs a physical action of spitting on the ground, making mud, smearing it over the man's eyes, and inviting him to go wash it off. When the man does, he is healed of his blindness that he was born with.

Following this, the man is continuously interrogated about what happened to him, with people trying to accuse Jesus of being a sinner because he healed him on the Sabbath. The blind man is unaware of who Jesus is because he was blind and so never saw him before the healing happened. His response to the interrogation by the Pharisees gives us some of the words to the famous hymn Amazing Grace when he says, "If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see."

Upon further interrogation, the man asks "Why do you want to hear [my testimony] again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" This leads to his being ridiculed and eventually thrown out by the Pharisees, but does not deter him from wanting to find and follow Jesus.

Finally, the story ends with Jesus seeking him out. Upon finding him, Jesus reveals himself as the one who healed him, and we are told the man said "'I do believe, Lord,' and he worshiped him."

This story, like the one last week, is meant to be an archetype of conversion. In a sense, we all are born blind, but at some point encounter the Lord, maybe even without knowing it. As we seek him out, ask about him, and want to know him, we stumble about and perhaps even experience ridicule or persecution. And in our efforts, we know that the Lord too is seeking us out, wanting to be a part of our lives. When the day comes, the hope is that we, like the man born blind, can recognize him and say "I do believe, Lord!"

So, let us pray this week for ourselves, our Elect and Candidates, and for all who are sincerely seeking the Lord. May our efforts to seek lead us in the right direction, so that we may indeed encounter the Lord who is the Light of the World.

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings this Sunday's Mass.