4th Sunday of Lent
My dear beloved in Christ, on this Fourth Sunday of Lent—Laetare Sunday, when the Church bids us rejoice even in the midst of penance—we are given a drama more vivid than any stage play, a revelation more piercing than any spotlight.
What is Laetare and Why Should We Rejoice?
In a nutshell, Laetare is from the Latin word meaning "rejoice." In the midst of our Lenten prayers, penance, fasting, and our quiet wrestling with sin, the Church suddenly wants us to lift our voices and re-echo those ancient words of the prophet Isaiah: "Laetare Jerusalem" (Rejoice, O Jerusalem).
The reason for this command, even as our foreheads still bear the ashes of mortality, is simple: Lent is not a tomb; rather, it is a tunnel. The light at the end of the tunnel is no longer a distant rumor; it is close at hand, visible, and glowing with the promise of Easter. It is little wonder that the purple vestments may give way to rose today.
The Readings: A Piercing Spotlight
The readings today present us with an enriching and piercing spotlight. In the First Reading, we are shown a drama more vivid than any stage play. Samuel, sent by God to anoint a new king, stands before Jesse’s sons. He gazes upon Eliab—tall and impressive—and thinks, "Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him!"
But God says:
"Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature... for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
The message is clear: God delights in the hidden and the humble. The world, of course, measures by height, strength, and eloquence, but God measures by the unseen pulse of the heart. David was chosen not because he was worthy—No! God makes us worthy because He has chosen us.
In the Second Reading, St. Paul notes: "Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light... Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light." This is a clarion call to transformation. The "darkness" St. Paul speaks of is not merely physical; it is spiritual blindness—being content with shadows and asleep in sin. But Christ has come to awaken us. He does not merely improve our vision; He gives us a new way of seeing altogether.
The Gospel: The Courtroom Drama
The Gospel is not just a simple story; it is a courtroom drama—a trial of sight and blindness. Jesus sees the man born blind, not as a theological problem ("Who sinned, this man or his parents?") but as a person made for light.
He spits on the ground, makes clay, and anoints the man’s eyes—echoing the very creation of man from the dust—and commands: "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). The man obeys, washes, and comes back seeing. What power in that obedience! The man does not argue theology; he simply trusts and obeys.
The Pharisees and the Debate
What happened next? Another drama unfolded: the neighbors’ debate. "Is this he?" The Pharisees interrogate. They split hairs over the Sabbath. They summon his parents, who tremble and defer. Finally, they cast the healed man out—excommunicated for confessing the truth: "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."
The Heart of the Message
My friends, here is the heart of it: there are two kinds of blindness in this world. One is physical, which, though a heavy cross, is not the worst. The other is spiritual blindness—a willful blindness deadlier than any disease. This is the blindness of the Pharisees, who see the miracle but refuse to see the Miracle-Worker. They have eyes, but they do not see. They claim to see clearly ("We know this man is a sinner"), yet their hearts are closed.
Jesus says at the end: "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." The "sighted" become blind; the blind receive sight.
Practical Message for Every Christian
Examine your own eyes. Are there areas where you see only by the world’s standards—judging by appearances, just like Samuel? Do you look at the poor, the sinner, or the outcast and see only their faults, while God sees a heart He longs to anoint?
Or perhaps you are like the man born blind: you have lived in a certain darkness—the darkness of habitual sin, resentment, fear, doubt, impatience, or indifference. I have good news for you: Jesus Christ is passing by this Lenten season right now, saying, "Go, wash." Wash yourself in the waters of repentance, in Confession, and in the Sacraments. Obey, even if it seems simple or humiliating. The clay on your eyes may feel strange, but the washing brings sight. When the world questions your faith, do not shrink. Say with the healed man: "One thing I know: I was blind, now I see." Let your changed life be your testimony.
So rejoice today, even in Lent! The Light has come. But do not stop at rejoicing. Go, wash. Let Christ anoint your eyes anew.
May the Lord open our eyes, and may He bless His words in our hearts. Amen.
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Igwe, HFFBY
(St. Ambrose Barlow Parish, Swinton)