March 2, 2008 4^th Sunday of Lent

Sign of the Cross

Call to Prayer: O God, as once you led the man born blind to look on Christ and behold the face of your Anointed, so now clear our vision and focus our sight that all of us, the elect and the baptized, may acknowledge Christ as the Light of the world. We ask this through Christ, whose gifts are water, light and life. Amen.

The Word of God: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John (9: 1- 41)

As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” — which means Sent —. So he went and washed, and came back able to see. They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a Sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” Some of the Pharisees heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we? Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.”

• Questions for reflection:

• What does having “eyes of faith” help you to see?

• What are some things we really do not want to see?

• What opens your eyes to see?

Spontaneous Intercessions Our Father

Closing Prayer: O God , the author and source of all light, open our eyes by the grace of your Spirit, that we may be able to look on your Son, the One you sent to illumine the world, so that, seeing, we may believe and worship Jesus as Lord. Amen.