"Open My Eyes, Lord"

As we continue our Sunday celebration,  I offer this version of the St. Paul Young Adult Choir and Ensemble (Church of Saint Paul the Apostle, New York, NY) presenting "Open My Eyes, Lord":

 

Birthday Blessings, Ethan!!!

Birthday greetings to Ethan, son of Steven Pugh (niece Jackie's husband), whose birthday is today! May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with an outpouring of the Lord's choicest blessings!

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Today the Church celebrates the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The assigned readings are 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ephesians 5:8-14; and John 9:1-41. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 23 (Psalm 23:1-6).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm- Ps 23- 4th Sun of Lent Year A - The Lord is my Shepherd  

The Gospel reading is as follows:

As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  When he had said this, 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.

His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, "Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is," but others said, "No, he just looks like him."

He said, "I am."

So they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"

He replied, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.'
So I went there and washed and was able to see."

And they said to him, "Where is he?"

He said, "I don't know."

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."

Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?"

His parents answered and said, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself."
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed  that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, "He is of age; question him."

So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner."

He replied, "If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see."

So they said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"

He answered them "I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"

They ridiculed him and said, "You are that man's disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from."

The man answered and said to them, "This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners,  but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything."

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, 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 who were with him 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."

Reflections related to these readings:

Community in Mission: I Went, I Washed, And Now I See - A Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent (14 MAR 26) 

Benedictine College: This Sunday, Jesus Escaped Death Long Enough To Help Us See (12 MAR 26)

Word on Fire: The Light of the World (Cycle A * Lent * 4th Week)

The Pilot: Echoes: Scott Hahn: Eyesight to the blind (13 MAR 26)

The Pilot: Echoes: Deacon Greg Kandra: Scripture Reflection for March 15, 2026, Fourth Sunday in Lent (11 MAR 26) 

The Pilot: Echoes: Archbishop Richard G. Henning: 'Was blind but now I see' (13 MAR 26) 

The Quiet Corner: Finding the Good Shepherd in the Lenten Journey (12 MAR 26) 

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of good footwear.

Elizabeth Scalia on Fear as the Destroyer of Our Lenten works

"Perhaps fear, after all, is at the root of all sin. I used to think it was selfishness, but it's not. Even selfishness is rooted in fear.

"We can see this in the early wreckage of our Lenten practices: We are afraid of material poverty, and so we selfishly hold back on our almsgiving. We are afraid of hunger, and so we selfishly reach for the bread and chocolate. We are afraid of what we might find within ourselves and our interior lives, and so we selfishly cut short our prayers, or abandon them, completely, for something that we tell ourselves is 'more fun' or 'more important.'

"Obviously, we should not fear these things."

In a recent commentary, writer Elizabeth Scalia reflected on how fear can mislead us in our Lenten works in in other aspects of our lives and encourages us to "place all of the fears . . . into the vast depths of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,"

To access Ms. Scalia's complete post, please visit:

The Pilot: Echoes: Elizabeth Scalia: Fear: The destroyer of our Lenten works (11 MAR 26)

Reflection Starter from Pope Leo XIV

"In the face of the many questions of the human heart, as well as tragic situations of injustice, violence and suffering that mark our time, our faith needs to be alert, attentive and prophetic. Faith should open our eyes to the darkness of the world, and bring others the light of the Gospel through our commitment to peace, justice and solidarity." - Pope Leo XIV

United States Air Force Band: "Oh Shenandoah"

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of the United States Air Force Band presenting "Oh Shenandoah":

 

Belated Birthday Blessings, Gail!!!

Belated birthday greetings to Gail Peterson, mother of Adam's wife, Erin, who recently celebrated her birthday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Belated Birthday Blessings, Charlie!!!

Belated birthday greetings to Charlie June, daughter of nephew James Fedoras, who recently celebrated her birthday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Belated Anniversary Blessings, Michelle and Bryan!!!

Belated anniversary greetings to niece Michelle and her husband Bryan Duggan, who recently celebrated their wedding anniversary!!! May each day of the the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of kites and of kite flying.

Living with a Spirit of Hope

Saint Francis of Assisi has been quoted as saying, "All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle." It's a statement that so perfectly captures the spirit of hope that he strove to live by and that we all are called to cultivate within our hearts. We are called to be light to the world by inviting Christ into our lives to allow His light to shine through us in all that we do. And spreading hope is most vital in trying times because that's when our light is most needed.

"It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness," is the ancient Chinese proverb that Father James Keller, M.M., adopted as a motto in founding The Christophers back in 1945. It's a bit of wisdom that reminds us to always be positive amid the challenges of life.

Father Keller said, "Rebellion against difficulties and obstacles that cannot legitimately be avoided only makes a bad situation worse. Ordinary common sense recommends that we ride the storm, not buck it." Though we must certainly be realistic about the challenges we face, Father Keller understood that we'll never overcome our obstacles if we don't stay positive.

A quote attributed to Saint Catherine of Siena states, "Start being brave about everything, driving out darkness and spreading light as well. Don't look at your weakness, but realize that in Christ crucified you can do everything."

Catherine and Francis were separated by over a century in time, but they lived in cities less than a hundred miles apart in central Italy - and their actions had ripple effects felt throughout the world to this day. This is the legacy of those who devote their lives to God. They become the fertile ground upon which good fruit can flourish.

Francis was so humble that he interpreted the command from God, "Rebuild my Church," as a simple instruction to repair stonework in a hillside chapel. That may have been God's first and simplest intention for Francis, but the world now knows that Francis was also called to lead a renewal of devotion to Christ.

Catherine followed in his footsteps over a hundred years later. Although she started by confining herself to a cloister to grow in devotion to God, she eventually felt called to ministry to the poor and sick, and her mission just kept growing until her counsel was sought by leaders on the world stage.

Another quote attributed to Saint Catherine states, "Be who you were born to be, and you will set the world on fire." She and Francis both answered the call to simply be themselves. In each case, it was a humble path that led to great things.

Two centuries after the time of Saint Catherine of Siena and a thousand miles away in Spain, Saint Teresa of Avila set the world on fire by charting a path of prayer and contemplation. Saint Teresa also understood the importance of staying positive. She once said, "From somber, serious, sullen saints, save us, O Lord."

Like Catherine and Francis, Saint Teresa knew she was called to bring light into the world. These saints teach us that the path to accomplishing great things for God is forged in hope and a positive outlook on life. So let's resolve to stay positive, knowing God will meet us in our hope and transform it into a seed from which good fruit will blossom in the world around us.

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column, written by Fr. Ed Dougherty, M.M, of The Christophers' Board of Directors; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)

Background information:

The Christophers