BLIND SIDE

“As He walked along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth.” —John 9:1

The world is divided into two groups: those who know they’re spiritually blind and ask for and receive sight from Jesus, and others who refuse to admit they’re blind and are even blind to being blind (Is 29:9). Jesus said: “I came into this world to divide it, to make the sightless see and the seeing blind” (Jn 9:39). Many take offense at being called blind. “Some of the Pharisees around Him picked this up, saying, ‘You are not calling us blind, are You?’ To which Jesus replied: ‘If you were blind there would be no sin in that. “But we see,” you say, and your sin remains’ ” (Jn 9:40-41).

We were born spiritually blind. We inherited this from our first parents Adam and Eve. Our sight was restored when we were reborn in the waters of Baptism. Nevertheless, we continue to have eye problems because of our sins, which originally caused our spiritual blindness (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 588, 1791). We keep bumping into things, crashing into brick walls, and having terrible accidents. What does it take to wake us up to reality?

We must confess our sins, and Jesus will again restore our spiritual vision. “Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Eph 5:14). “So the man went off and washed, and came back able to see” (Jn 9:7).

Prayer: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures He gives me repose; beside restful waters He leads me; He refreshes my soul” (Ps 23:1-3).

Promise: “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.” —1 Sm 16:7

Praise: “Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and grants life, so the Son grants life to those to whom He wishes” (Jn 5:21). Praise Jesus, crucified and risen!