Homily

This past week I was reading what some of the Church Fathers had to say about today's Gospel of the Man Born Blind, and of course they had some great observations. So, pardon me today if I don't share just one main theme with you. Instead, I'd like to tell you about several of their ideas on this text. One comment really surprised me. After the man is thrown out of the synagogue by the Pharisees, Jesus finds him and asks him if he believes in the Son of Man. Here's what Theodore of Mopsuestia said: "The blind man, recognizing Jesus' voice—remember he had not seen Him yet— said 'and who is He, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in Him.' With good reason, he thought that the one who had given him sight even though he was beyond hope could also show him the Son of God." I have read and heard this Gospel so many, many times over the years and yet, for some reason I never stopped to realize that the man who was cured did not recognize Jesus by appearance here, because he did see Him after he had been cured, until I read this piece by Theodore some years ago. Although it may be obvious to you, it was not to me. So there you are, as you suspected, I am not Dick Tracy—I am more like Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther fame.

St. John Chrysostom explains why Jesus made mud and put it on the man's eyes. He says that Jesus did this so that everyone along the street would see this blind man making his way to the pool of Siloam, and they would pay attention to him because of the mud on his eyes, wondering why anyone would put mud on their eyes, and they would remember him. Then, after his cure, with his sight restored, when they saw him healed, they would be witnesses to the glory of God. So that which was earthly, in a literal sense, the mud, would lead them to realize they had then witnessed the divine power of Christ in this miracle.

Then there is St. Augustine, who also speaks of the Blind Man’s second meeting with Jesus. He says that the man had washed his face at the pool of Siloam, but he had not yet washed the face of his heart. Jesus asks him if he believes in the Son of God, and the man in turn asks, who this would be, so that he could believe in him.

He could already see him, certainly with his eyes, but with his heart? Not yet. Wait for it; he will see him in a moment. Jesus answered him, “I am, I Who am talking to you.” Did he hesitate? He washed the face of his heart immediately. After all, Siloam was talking to him, which is translated as “the One Who is sent.” So, Jesus Himself was Siloam. The man, blind in his heart, approached, heard, believed, worshipped, washed his face and he saw.”

St. Augustine talks about these two washings, one which involves a physical action and the second which involves an interior washing away of anything which blinds us to Jesus. "The sacrament had already taken place in his eyes, but the benefit of grace had not yet been achieved in his heart." And that word "sacrament" made me think of baptism, where we were all washed in "Siloam," and we all put on Christ and received the gift of divine life through the waters and the seed of faith is given to us, the sight of the face of Christ within our lives. But from that time on it gradually, it becomes our responsibility to respond to the voice of Christ, to hear and recognize His voice, to see Him and know Him and to believe that truly He is the Son of God. We were washed in Siloam, but then it became necessary for us to continue to do as St. Augustine said: to approach Jesus, to hear Him, to believe what He says, to worship Him, and to always be ready to have our hearts washed clean.

The baptismal washing we received, most of us many years ago, although it is a divine beginning, is never meant to be our spiritual end. Instead, it is up to us to continue to seek the face of Jesus, to be in His presence, to listen to His words, to worship Him as Son of Man and Son of God. Just like the blind man we too encounter many obstacles along the way and more will surely come. There will be opposition, mockery, struggles in life, problems with family, our own spiritual laziness at times, our over-attachment to the things of this world and a whole huge number of difficulties and struggles that fill the time from our first washing until the time we will see Jesus face to face. We will only see Him then if we continue to allow our hearts to be washed, again and again, washed of sin and of any doubts in faith, again and again washed and willing to be washed, so that we may continue to seek out and find the Lord even as He continues to call our name and seek us out.

One last quote: When the Pharisees claim that they are the disciples of Moses, but the blind man is a terrible disciple of that sinner, Jesus, St. Augustine says, “May such an evil thing be also said of us and our children!”