FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT -  A  – 2023   

• The fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday, the Sunday we are invited to rejoice because Easter is closer than when we began our Lenten journey.  Laetare is the first Word of the invitation (antiphon) at the beginning of the Mass.   
• This Sunday the catechumens who are preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation have the second scrutiny, the second opportunity to examine themselves and see how their journey goes and have the opportunity to allow the Lord to correct whatever is needed of change.  
• Last Sunday the theme of the liturgy was the water, this  Sunday the theme is the light.    

THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL

Ø  These two books are found between the book of Judges and the books of Kings.

Ø  The repetitions, the diversity of literary styles found in these books make us think that they were composed by many different authors and over a long period of time.  

Ø  Each book has a particular central theme. 

Ø  Besides the literary forms of these books, we need to look at the theology they transmit.  

Ø  The main point is the monarchy.   

Ø  Connected with this theme we find other themes: history, human initiatives, vocation, religious confrontations and some other themes.  

FIRST READING:   1 Sm 16: 1b,6-7,10-13a

ü  The author of the book of Samuel narrates how David was anointed King of Israel

ü  He was anointed king but did not become the king of Israel until later.  In the second book of Samuel chapter 4 we find another story about David becoming the king of Israel.  

ü  Samuel is sent by God to Jesse’s home in Bethlehem of Judah. 

ü  Samuel is drawn by the external look of the sons of Jesse, but the Lord keeps telling him “Not this one” until David comes, then the Lord commands Samuel to anoint him.  

ü  As he is anointed the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him.   

ü  We have been anointed at our baptism and confirmation, as kings to be kings like Jesus, who came to serve and not to be served.   

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Ps 23: 1-3a-3b-4,5,6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
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.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. 

v  Psalm 23 is one of the most beautiful psalms of the Bible. We use it for funerals, since it describes the truth about what the Lord does for us, human beings, for those who know him and for those who do not.    

SECOND READING: Eph 5:8-14

      The author of the letter to the Ephesians reminds to us how we have come from darkness to light in Christ through our baptism. It is true that he does not mention the word baptism in this fragment but, some verses before, he has spoken about Christian behavior. 

      Now that we are light, we are invited to live in the light of Christ, because his light makes us do good works, works of light.    

      We are invited to leave aside whatever has been and is darkness in our life, to be light.  

      Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew says that a light is not to be covered it is to be visible. If someone lights a candle in his home, that invites others to do the same, very soon the place that was dark before becomes a light which invites others to come and do the same. As Christians our life must be an invitation to come to the light of Christ

      The reading ends with an invitation “awake oh sleeper and rise from the dark and Christ will give you light.”   

      Yes, let us arise, let us begin with decision and enthusiasm our journey of conversion to Christ, let us allow Him to help us to go day by day from darkness to light.   

GOSPEL  Jn 9:1-41

As we said last Sunday about the gospel of the Samaritan woman, today John presents again to us a theological reflection over a real event, a blind man to whom Jesus gives back his sight.   

The story can be divided in 6 different scenes.    

First scene

ü  As Jesus is passing by with his disciples he finds a blind beggar.  

ü  The disciples, as good Israelites, know what those who interpret the Scriptures have taught them: if you behave God will bless you, if not he will not bless you. Thus is something goes wrong in your life it means that your behavior is bad. Let us recall the book of Job. Job has a very hard time trying to convince his friends that he has not done any wrong thing to be visited by so many sufferings. This story told by John is like a reduced version of the book of Job.  The disciples ask Jesus: who has sinned him or his parents?    

ü  The question seems out of place because who can sin before being born? Because this man was born blind.   

ü  Jesus tells them that nobody had sinned. God can transform darkness into light, give back the spiritual and physical  sight to someone.

ü  Jesus makes clay with his saliva and sends the man to the pool of Shiloh, which means sent, to wash his eyes.   

ü  Jesus wants to give back the sight to this man, but he will have to cooperate. The same thing is true in our life, the Lord wants to convert us to Him, but he asks us to cooperate with our works of light.  

ü  The man comes back with his sight restored.

Second scene

ü  The neighbors of the man were divided among themselves over the identity of this man who was blind and now could see. 

ü  He kept repeating “it’s me”    

ü  How can you see? He told them the man called Jesus anointed my eyes with clay, I washed my eyes and I see.

ü  And where is that man? I do not know.   

Third Scene

ü  They bring him to the Pharisees. John says that when Jesus cured the man it was a Sabbath.  The Pharisees had interpreted the law about the Sabbath in a very strict way, to make clay was already a work that could not be done.   

ü  There is a very interesting and a bid ironic dialogue between the Pharisees, man knowledgeable of the law and, that poor ignorant beggar. We can imagine how they considered that man, who in spite of his poverty and former blindness had a lot of wisdom and common sense; the wisdom given by God to every human being.  

ü  This man cannot belong to God because he works on the Sabbath… they were divided among themselves about this.

ü  What do you say? He is a prophet.  

ü  They sent the man away and called his parents.  

Fourth Scene

ü  To be sure that this was really the blind man, they ask his parents  

ü  Is he your son? Yes  

ü  How come he sees now? We do not know, ask him he is of age.  

ü  His parents did not want to be in problems with the authorities.  

ü  We do not know if they stay to hear the second part of the conversation of their son with the authorities.    

Fifth Scene   

ü  They call the man again to continue their interrogation.  

ü  Give glory to God, we know that, that man is a sinner.   

ü  If he is a sinner or not, I do not know, what I know is that he has given back my sight.  

ü  How did he open your eyes?   

ü  Why do you ask me again ? Do you want to become his disciples?  

ü  You will be his disciple; we are disciples of Moses. And God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where that man comes from.   

ü  This is what is amazing, that you do not know where he comes from, but what is true is that he has open my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. (That man knew well that only God can do miracles)  

ü  Faced with the wisdom of this poor and simple man, without any status in society, the leaders feel threaten and they expel him from the Synagogue.  

Sixth Scene

This is the climax of the story, the revelation of Jesus to that man. Jesus revealed himself as Messiah to the Samaritan woman, today he reveals himself as the Son of Man to the blind man.  

ü  Jesus comes to meet the man. God always takes the initiative to encounter us.

ü  Do you believe in the Son of man?  Who is he?  He who speaks to you. I believe.   

ü  And Jesus saying in a loud voice what was in his heart, says the reason for him to have come to this world. It is to make the blind see and those who believe they see help them to realize they are blind and ask him for help.

ü  The Pharisees ask, do you think that we are blind also? No, because if you were blind you would not be responsible, but you know, but do not want to  see and thus change your life.     

ü  Let us put ourselves in place of this man and let us read the Gospel putting our name instead of the name of the blind man. Let us ask us if our faith is like the faith of the blind man or like that of the Pharisees. Whom  do we believe?  Whom do we follow?  

ü  Jesus revealed himself to the Samaritan woman as the Messiah, here he reveals himself to the blind man as the Son of Man. 

CLARETIAN CORNER

 This virtue should be so precious that it was the first one that the Most Holy Humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ practiced, being born in a shoddy manger, poorer than all the poor in the world.  Oh poverty of my God, who could inherit your riches!  Christ Our Lord taught us all the virtues in a heroic degree because it was God’s own virtue, but it seems that he wanted to inculcate Holy Poverty in a particular way (because she was his inseparable companion.  He is born very poor, lives in utmost poverty and dies in extreme necessity), as the foundation of evangelical life. Maria Antonia Paris. Plan for the Renewal of the Church.