Weekly HOMILY for April 2, 2011: The Nameless Man Born Blind

4th Sunday of Lent, Cycle A
Archdiocesan Deacon Retreat
Bon Secours Spiritual Center
April 3, 2011

The Nameless Man Born Blind
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato


I AM NAMELESS

Did you notice that the gospel writer, Saint John, never tells you my name?

In the entire story that you just heard, John only refers to me as “the man born blind.” He never uses my name.

I want to tell you why he doesn’t but first, I want to make two observations about what happens here. After all, I’m the one at the center of the story.


OBSERVATION 1: SEEING SPIRITUALLY

First, did you notice that Jesus says that my blindness is not due to any sin, either my parents’ sin or my sin?

It just happened. Period.

So, you are probably not responsible for physical blindness whether it is in yourself or in someone else. But you may be, in fact you and all of us are probably responsible for spiritual blindness in ourselves.

When I look in this story at my religious leaders and my neighbors and even my parents, I think they are afraid: afraid that they will have to change the way they think about Jesus, or afraid that their status will be threatened, or afraid of what others will think about them. That’s why they are unable to see and to say that Jesus healed me.

They remain spiritually blind and they are responsible for that. So, please don’t let that happen to you.

Maybe you are afraid that if you really listen to Jesus, you will have to face up to some habit in your life, like talking negatively about people or a substance abuse problem.

Or maybe you are afraid that you will have to deal with your part of the marriage problem.

You know, this sort of spiritual blindness diminishes who you are and doesn’t make you feel any better about yourself. Jesus is so insightful when he says: “I came to make the sightless see and the seeing blind.”

What Jesus means is: don’t be so certain that you are really seeing, because then you may end up spiritually blind.

Instead, admit that you are blind to some extent, and then allow Jesus to help you to see – spiritually.


OBSERVATION 2: SEEING MORE

And then, did you notice that I did not see fully, all at once?

Oh yes, I instantly got my eyesight, my physical sight. But my spiritual sight – that was another thing.

At first, I saw Jesus (1) As just another person; (2) Then as a prophet; (3) Then as one sent from God; (4) Then as the Son of Man or Messiah; and finally, (5) As Lord or God himself.

It took me a while to see him for all that he is and it’s a process. Do you have a similar sense of being in a process of coming to see?

There’s a good lesson here for you. I suspect that you too need to grow in your faith – to keep seeing more and more. In fact, you never stop growing or seeing more.

So, don’t get stuck into thinking that your understanding of God or of the Mass or of Catholic traditions has to be the way it was when you were a kid. Keep your mind and your eyes open and trying to see more.

I’m telling you: it’s a lot more exciting to keep growing and to keep seeing more and more. And it will lead you, as it led me, to a much fuller relationship with Jesus – and that means with God.


WHY I AM NAMELESS

Okay! I just had to make these observations about (1) Seeing spiritually and (2) Seeing more and more.

Now, I want to tell you why John never tells you my name. He does not do this because he wants each of you – you, you, you and you – to realize that you are me.

So, you – Michael, Marie, Pam, Patrick, Roger – you are “the man/woman born blind.”

And Jesus also wants to give you sight, and he will do this (1) If you are willing to admit that you may be spiritually blind and that you want spiritual vision and (2) If you are willing to keep trying to see more and more for as long as you live.