The choice of scripture for the whole Lenten season was made for the final instructions of catechumens — to prepare them for their baptism on Easter day. To become a Christian in the early church was very difficult. A desiring candidate had to prove himself well equipped with the understanding of Christian doctrine and the knowledge of the Gospels. On Lenten Sundays they had their final series of the catechism and examinations from the Bishop. The fourth week was the important week for the catechumens for they were tested in that week of their knowledge on faith and their motivation to live the faith they professed.
Today’s readings set the tone for the week’s instructions. The first reading urges us to go beyond human logic and see things from God’s perspective. It is a call for us to be faithful to God rather than being professionally successful. A true Christian will learn to live his faith unscathed, amidst all the odds — the pains and struggles, isolation and boredom, the glamours and attractions of the world — because he knows that his God will look into the purity of his heart.
The blind man in the Gospel becomes an example. In spite of the dire situation created by his enemies, the blind man stood his ground and professed his faith in Jesus, who gave him his sight. His adherence to Jesus helped him see gradually the divinity in Jesus. Like the catechumens, the faith of the blind man grew step by step: the ordinary ‘man’, Jesus becomes a ‘prophet’, then a ‘man of God’ and finally the ‘Lord’ for them.
This fourth week of Lent is an opportunity for us to reflect how far our faith in Jesus has grown. We can ask Jesus to give us the spiritual sight that we may understand and ‘see’ the true mystery of Easter in the struggles of living our faith day by day. This is the mystery of the cross which prepares us for the Day of the Resurrection.
-Rev. Ranjan D’Sa, OCD