March 30, 2014 – The Fourth Sunday of Lent
1 Sm 16: 1B, 6-7, 10-13A; Ps 23: 1-6: Eph 5: 8-14; Jn 9: 1-41
At times scripture can be a lot like the children’s exercise called “Connect the dots.” What may appear to be a group of unrelated dots, when connected correctly, become a clear picture, something which can be recognized and identified.
That is very much the case for our readings on this Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday. We are at the midpoint of our Lenten journey, and it is a good time to evaluate, or perhaps in some of our cases, to get moving. From the first reading from First Samuel, in which we learn that David has been chosen by God because the Lord has looked into his heart (“Not as man sees does God see…for the Lord looks into the heart.”) to the beautiful 23rd Psalm (“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”) to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (“Awake O sleeper and Christ will give you light.”) to Jesus’ healing of the blind man in the Gospel from John (“I was blind and now I see.”) we are led to connect the dots which reveal to us what Lent is all about.
If we cease being blind and understand the light of Christ, and vow to follow Him and to trust in Him, and if we choose to pursue stewardship and discipleship as a way of life, we, like David can be chosen, for God can see into our heart, and the Lord knows if we believe and are willing to follow Him like the Good Shepherd he is.