Lenten Reflections: The Fourth Sunday of Lent

Curiosity, sinner, listening, seeing, believing. . .

These words all come to mind as I reflect on John’s gospel and my own Lenten experience.  All who knew of Jesus giving sight to the blind man were curious.  Was the man blind from birth?  Why did Jesus do such a thing to a sinner?  What was Jesus trying to teach his disciples? So it is in my life this Lent as I reflect on my forty days of preparation for Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. I, too, am curious. Why did Jesus do this for me?  Why me, a sinner?  Can I see more clearly now?  Are my eyes opened to the injustices around me?  Are my eyes opened to what I can do to share the good news?   What goals did I set for myself to reach out to others to make my small world a better place?

During this Lent I wanted to focus on listening, to pray through listening.  There are so many changes occurring in my life.  What is it I hear in this change?  Stopping to listen in order to see is difficult for me.  I want answers and “seeing” gives me a quicker response.  I do not have much patience in “listening”.  Yet the man who was blind heard Jesus before he was able to see him.  The trust he had in Jesus was through listening.  How can I be more patient to listen to God in my life instead of wanting to “see” instant results.  That has been my Lenten challenge.

And finally the blind man listened.  He followed what Jesus said.  He could see.  The blind man believed what Jesus said would happen.  His believing was so strong and unmovable, even while those around him questioned what Jesus did and why.

My prayer this Lent was to listen more attentively, see more clearly and believe more deeply in following and loving the God of my life.