Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Sunday Of The Man Born Blind

Sunday Of The Man Born Blind

Last updated on: May 19, 2017 at 5:39 am by Henry Karlson

Sunday Of The Man Born Blind 2017-05-19T05:39:52-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It is important to see, then, that original sin is not actual sin, and the condition we find ourselves in thanks to original sin is not, in and of itself, a sinful condition. It is a weakness, an evolutionary change in our being, so that we are more accustomed to the material than the spiritual realm. We allow our body and its impulses guide us because it is directly attached to the form of existence we are most accustomed to experience. Our body is not evil, its impulses and desires which lead us to temptation must not be understood as evil; it is, however, imbalanced. That imbalance will make us topple over and fall down, as it were, again and again, until we restore the balance with a spiritual vision, with an ability to perceive the spiritual realm and integrate it with our material senses, uniting the two together in holistic unity. Our weakness, our desires, our temptations are not sins, and our blindness is itself not a sin nor a result of any sin. With Christ, the spiritual senses can be restored, the original integrity of the human person, our original face, can be known and through it, we will see and experience the world in the fullness of our being, in body and spirit. Christ, it is said, used clay to help restore the blind man to show it is in and through the body that the spiritual senses are to be found, that we must not disconnect ourselves from the material form of existence, but work with it, bringing the clay of the flesh into proper order.

When the blind man finds his vision restored, he saw the world and all its glories in the way we should see and engage the spiritual world once it is revealed to us. It is a thing of surprise and mystery. As the blind man being healed by Jesus was brought face to face with Christ, so we, upon being healed by Christ, will be able to encounter the risen Lord, to see and know him in and through our spiritual senses, so that coming upon him we will believe and worship him like the blind man:

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him (Jn. 9:35-38 RSV).

Cathedral Church of Saint Patrick – stained glass, Christ heals a blind man by Nheyob [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

We see, then, the man, upon being healed, found his way back to Jesus, and unlike many who were healed by him, the light which Christ gave him allowed him to understand and know who Jesus was, leading him to worship Jesus as Chrysostom suggested:

He said not, “I am He that healed you, that bade you, Go, wash in Siloam”; but keeping silence on all these points, He says, “Dost thou believe in the Son of God?” and then the man, showing his great earnestness, straightway worshipped; which few of those who were healed had done; as, for instance, the lepers, and some others; by this act declaring His divine power. For that no one might think that what had been said by him was a mere expression, he added also the deed.[1]

Here, then, we are shown that some who come to Jesus to be healed still put something between themselves and Jesus so as not to be entirely enlightened by him. They are thankful, but their minds are not yet enlightened; they are given strength and a sense of freedom, but their insight is not yet there. Only those who have open themselves up to the light of the world, the light which enlightens the mind it touches, will grasp after who Jesus is and worship him.

If and when we see the risen Lord, we encounter him in our spirit. The light shines bright upon us, though Jesus understands the healing process, so he light, however bright, will at first be dimmed so that we can adjust to it, and then once we are, we will receive more and more of the light, going from glory to glory, light to light. Each time, we will find the spiritual light blinding us through its brightness, but it will be a different kind of darkness, the bright darkness of God instead of the darkness of sin. The latter leaves us unable to see, always in the dark, while the light of Christ brings us into glory – we see it, we cringe, we hold back, we adjust, we draw closer to him, each time finding ourselves overwhelmed by the greater and greater light of Christ, a light which is so bright it blinds and brings us into a great darkness where the higher, transcendent glory of God is to be experienced. We are not cut off from God, our spiritual senses are not lost, but only made stronger, allowing is to see and experience more and more as we encounter the true light of God’s glory. We must be open to it to allow the adjustment take place.

The blind man had to wash his eyes, just as we have to be washed in baptism and enlightened by the Spirit in baptism and confirmation – but then he could see and saw Christ, and we, if we look with spiritual eyes, can slowly see Christ all around us, the Logos reflected in all things. All things can speak of Christ, for they are patterned from the Logos, and so are said to be logoi of the Logos. As we adjust to our new, greater condition, we can see how all things come together and reveal how their foundation lies in Christ, and so reveal Christ at the heart of creation itself.

We believe, we have faith, we become healed and then we see – only to then be taken further, deeper into the spiritual realm, fighting for greater vision, further light, greater healing, as we purify ourselves from sin, cataracts which hinder our spiritual sight. Whatever sin which continues to hinder our spiritual perception requires us to repent so that we can have its taint removed from our vision; thus, we sing:

I come to You, O Christ, / Blind from birth in my spiritual eyes / And I call to You in repentance: / You are the most radiant light of those in darkness! (Kontakion Sunday of the Man Born Blind).

Having been healed by Christ, let us be thankful; let us grow in grace, so that we can grow in our ability to take in the light of truth and be further enlightened by it. Let us follow the example of the blind man and not those who left Christ after being healed, as St. Caesarius of Arles exhorted us:

Now, beloved brethren, since we in Christ have recovered the eyes of the heart which we had lost in Adam, let us give abundant thanks to Him who deigned to enlighten us to behold Him, without any preceding merits on our part. Let us endeavor, with as much strength as we can and with His help, to open our eyes to the good and close them to evil, according to what the prophet begs of the Lord when he says: ‘Turn away my eyes from what is vain.’[2]

It is not because of some personal demerits which led us to be born spiritually blind, and it is not our merits which opens our spiritual senses and allows us to holistically engage the world. It is grace which heals us, body and soul, and so with grace we must go, cooperating with its power. Through such grace we can see what is truly good and evil, and so turn away from the ugliness which is evil by following the good which naturally attracts us with its beauty.

[1] St. John Chrysostom, Homily 59 on John in NPNF1(14): 212.

[2] St. Caesarius of Arles, Sermon 172 in St. Caesarius of Arles: Sermons 81 – 186. Trans. Mary Magdalene Mueller, OSF (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1963), 427.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook:

A Little Bit of Nothing

Sunday Of The Man Born Blind

Previous Post

May 17, 2017

The Oneness In Silence Is Greater Than The Dualism In Words

Next Post

May 22, 2017 Orpheus And The Prophetic Power Of Music

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz