RSS FeedClick Here for the Mass Readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent - April 3, 2011 (Year A):
"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (Jn 9:5)
Classically known as Laetare Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Lent marks the halfway point in our Lenten journey toward Easter. Because this Sunday holds a prominent place during the Lenten season it would be good to mention in a few sentences the changes you might see at Mass and what they mean. On Laetare Sunday (Laetare being Latin for “rejoice!”) certain Lenten observances at Mass are suspended. One may see flowers emerge once again on the altar or hear the organ ring out one last time before Easter, or see the priest wearing rose colored vestments. By placing visible signs of Easter in our midst, the Church encourages us to remain faithful to our Lenten penance and reminds us of the overall purpose of our Lenten journey: we die to sin so as to rise to new life in Christ.The readings for this Sunday express what it means to live a new life in Christ by making use of contrasting themes such as light and darkness, sight and blindness. Light and sight symbolize "faith", while darkness and blindness represent a "refusal to believe" (or hardness of heart). These themes are particularly conspicuous in the Gospel reading, where Jesus miraculously gives sight to a man who had been born blind. The blind man, who can now see, is brought before the Pharisees, some of whom refuse to recognize this miraculous cure as a work of God. The man born blind finds himself in an ironic situation – he sees clearly what has happened and is left marveling at the “blindness” of the Pharisees who refuse to open their hearts and believe. And although he is expelled from the presence of the Pharisees at the end of the Gospel, this man welcomes the presence of Christ in his life through faith.
When we open our hearts in faith to Jesus Christ, His message, and everything He stands for, we open ourselves to the light of God. This is usually both consoling and unnerving - and one reason people are afraid to draw too close to Christ. The light of Christ reveals the "works of darkness" (i.e. sin) present in our minds and hearts (the unnerving part), but at the same time it has the power to transform our hearts and minds into light (the consoling part). Although we cannot see the light of God with human eyes, we know His light is present within us when we begin to see our inner darkness. We should therefore not be discouraged when we discover the sinfulness in our hearts and minds, as it signals the presence of Christ's light shining in our darkness. Rather, like the man born blind, we can turn to the Lord in humility and faith, and accept the light of Christ into the unexplored recesses of our hearts.
The season of Lent directs us to once again discover that Christ really is the only true light in this world, and that we need Him. By drawing close to the Lord we too become, in the words of St. Paul, "children of the light, for light produces every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth." What is more, when the light of Christ enters into us and begins transforming us, we begin reflecting the light of Christ to the world around us - to our families, friends, and coworkers - even though we still see our sinfulness. And while some may refuse the light that shines out in our works, words, and attitude, deep down we are all in need of humble and courageous witnesses to inspire us to seek Christ. God bless you!
(Photo of the "Faith" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)
