Weekly HOMILY for March 30, 2014: 4th Sunday of Lent, Cycle A -- Who Are the Really Blind?

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In 2014, I am facilitating a 12-week interactive online course in contemplative prayer and action for priests with Saint Luke Institute.  Please visit SLIconnect.org to learn more:  https://www.sliconnect.org/product/living-god-program-contemplative-life-2/

4^th Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

March 30, 2014

Who Are the Really Blind?

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

A Blind Spot

There is a story about a man who had just sat down at his desk to begin his workday when an associate of his came running in, out of breath.  Panting, he cries out, “I was almost killed outside.

“I had just walked out of the deli, (huffing and puffing) where I buy an egg salad sandwich every morning (trying to catch his breath) when, when, a police car with its sirens blaring and its lights flashing rushes by me chasing another car down the street.

“The police car rams into the other car… crash! Bang! Glass flying everywhere!  Then the guys in both cars got out and started firing shots at each other… bang, bang, bang!

“And there I am … right in the line of fire with bullets whizzing past my ears. I’m telling you, Joe, I’m lucky to be alive.”

There’s a long pause of silence, and then Joe speaks.  “Do you eat an egg salad sandwich every morning?” 

  

Blind Spots

You might say that Joe got so focused on the egg salad sandwich that he had a blind spot to the terror and upset his associate had just experienced.

In today’s Gospel story, Jesus gives physical and spiritual sight to a man who has been born blind.  But he is also poking at the rest of us – telling us to be aware of our blindness or blind spots.

At times we can be just like Joe in my story. It is safe to say that we all have some spiritual blindness or blind spots that keep us from seeing the truth about others or ourselves. 

In the Gospel, we see three of the primary causes of our spiritual blind spots.

Cause 1: Preconceptions

First, preconceptions or preconceived ideas cause blind spots in us.  Jesus’ Apostles are operating out of the belief that physical impairments like blindness are caused by sin. 

Jesus straightens out their thinking and tells them that no one’s sin caused the blindness.  But it is pretty clear that this preconception causes a blind spot in the Apostles and they looked down on this man and his parents.

Preconceptions also cause blindness in us.  For example, a very recent media report tells us that we can have a preconception against the poor and especially against anyone who uses food stamps or other forms of government help.

No question, there can be abuses in any system, but sometimes our preconceptions can lead us to blame all the poor for their own situation and look down on them.  Preconceptions like this create blind spots and keep us from seeing people as persons, as human beings like ourselves.

Cause 2: Fear

Fear can also cause blind spots.  The parents of the man born blind are afraid even to understand what has really happened to their son. 

They are afraid that if they try to understand they will be alienated from the synagogue and from among their friends.  Their fear creates a blind spot in them and keeps them from seeing the truth of what Jesus has done for him.

Fear can also cause spiritual blindness in us.  Perhaps you refuse to talk with your spouse, or your son or daughter, about tensions because you’re afraid of what they might say to us or about us.

We are afraid that we will have to admit to some wrongdoing or change something in our behavior as well.  So our fear can cause a blind spot and keep us from seeing the truth about ourselves.

Cause 3: Self-Interest

And finally, self-interest can cause blind spots in us.  The religious leaders in this Gospel story feel very threatened by Jesus. 

They wonder, what will happen to them or their position as religious leaders, if people continue to flock to Jesus?  This self-interest creates a blind spot in them and keeps them from seeing the good that Jesus is really doing, much less the goodness in him as a healing life-giving person.

Self-interest also creates blindness in us.  It has done this in our Church when we refused to act openly and correctly about sexual abuse or some other harmful or destructive behavior.

Self-interest can cause a supervisor or anyone in charge to refuse to listen to criticism because it might call into question his or her competence.  Yes, self-interest creates a blind spot and this can keep us stuck in bad behavior.

Conclusion

Today Jesus is calling each of us to take the position of the man born blind and admit our spiritual blindness or blind spots.  

One of our Catholic scholars says that Jesus is setting up a contrast in this story not between the physically blind and those who can see with their eyes. 

Rather, the contrast is between those who know they can be blinded by preconceptions, fear, and self-interest and those who claim to see and don’t.