All I know is I once was blind but now I see!
As this gospel reading is quite long, it is more practical to use your own Bible to read the text.
How we respond to pressure can vary very much from person to person. In John’s Gospel, there are two related stories of people being healed, one in chapter 5 and the other in chapter 9, today’s reading. The man at the pool eventually betrays Jesus. The man born blind resists pressure and even grows on the strength of it. Part of his energy comes from his experience— no matter what others may say about Jesus, he himself once was blind and now he sees! His courageous attachment to what he knows from his personal encounter with Jesus leads eventually to a full act of faith.
POINTERS FOR PRAYER
1. The blind man makes a journey of faith, rooted in an experience of healing from the hand of Jesus. This experience has potential to grow and deepen. What has been my experience of the healing presence of Jesus in my life? Prayer of thanksgiving.
2. Under pressure, the blind man and the community he stands for are obliged to reflect again and again on what they really believe. What has happened to my faith in times of pressure against believing? Prayer of faith.
3. Amazing Grace has the words: I once was lost, and now I’m found. Jesus goes out of his way to find the blind man and bring him through the next stage of faith. What has my experience of finding my “self ” been? When have I been touched by Jesus? Is he reaching out to me now? Prayer of conversion.
4. The blind man witnesses to his experience, in spite of conventional, even orthodox opposition. Perhaps this has been part of my experience too? Prayer of witnessing
When taking a gospel story for prayer, it is often helpful to break the story up into its individual sections. Each section represents a movement, an interaction between the characters. This is particularly true of a long story such as the one we have today. There are six different scenes in this story. Any one of them could be the focal point for your prayer. Try to identify the movement in the section you take for prayer. The objective is to discover the Good News in the story. The Good News is that the story of grace is deeper than the story of sin, both in the gospels and in our lives.
One should also note the different characters in the story, for each of them could be a character with whom you can identify. In this story we have Jesus, the blind beggar, the disciples, the neighbours, the blind man’s parents and the Pharisees.
One of the ways we get to know ourselves better is to observe how we react under pressure. And there is no lack of opportunity in work, families, friendships, and what we may call the “events” of life. Pressure is a good test of character: what it does to us and how we deal with it and with others, in the whole process.