A blind man sees the light

Our eyes open when we live with Jesus

John 9:1-41

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

The text of the Gospel of the fourth Sunday of Lent invites us to meditate on the healing of a man born blind. It is a short but lively text. It is a concrete example of the way the Fourth Gospel reveals the deep hidden meaning of the events in Jesus’ life. The story of the healing of the blind man helps us open our eyes to the picture of Jesus that we each carry within ourselves. We often think of a Jesus who looks like a glorious king, removed from the life of ordinary people! In the Gospels, Jesus is presented as a Servant of the poor, friend of sinners. The picture of the Messiah-King that the Pharisees had in mind, kept us from recognizing Jesus the Messiah-Servant. As we read the Gospel, let us try to pay attention to two things: (i) the expert and free way the blind man reacts to the provocations of the authorities, and (ii) the way the blind man himself opens his eyes concerning Jesus.

b) A division of the text as a help to the reading:

John 9:1-5: Blindness before the evil that exists in the world

John 9:6-7: The sign of the “One sent by God” who will provoke various reactions

John 9:8-13: The reaction of the neighbors

John 9:14-17: The reaction of the Pharisees

John 9:18-23: The reaction of the parents

John 9:24-34: The final judgement of the Pharisees

John 9:35-38: The final attitude of the man born blind

John 9:39-41: A closing reflection

c) Text:

1 As He went along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should have been born blind?' 3 'Neither he nor his parents sinned,' Jesus answered, 'he was born blind so that the works of God might be revealed in him. 4 'As long as day lasts we must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.'

6 Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, 7 and said to him, 'Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam' (the name means 'one who has been sent'). So he went off and washed and came back able to see.

8 His neighbors and the people who used to see him before (for he was a beggar) said, 'Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?' 9 Some said, 'Yes, it is the same one.' Others said, 'No, but he looks just like him.' The man himself said, 'Yes, I am the one.' 10 So they said to him, 'Then how is it that your eyes were opened?' 11 He answered, 'The man called Jesus made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, "Go off and wash at Siloam"; so I went, and when I washed I gained my sight.' 12 They asked, 'Where is he?' He answered, 'I don't know.' 13 They brought  the man who had been blind to the Pharisees.

14 It had been a Sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man's eyes, 15 so when the Pharisees asked him how he had gained his sight, he said, 'He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.' 16 Then some of the Pharisees said, 'That man cannot be from God: he does not keep the Sabbath.' Others said, 'How can a sinner produce signs like this?' And there was division among them. 17 So they spoke to the blind man again, 'What have you to say about Him yourself, now that He has opened your eyes?' The man answered, 'He is a prophet.'

18 However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind without first sending for the parents of the man who had gained his sight and 19 asking them, 'Is this man really the son of yours who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?' 20 His parents answered, 'We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, 21 but how he can see, we don't know, nor who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.' 22 His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to ban from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. 23 This was why his parents said, 'He is old enough; ask him.'

24 So the Jews sent for the man again and said to him, 'Give glory to God! We are satisfied that this man is a sinner.' 25 The man answered, 'Whether he is a sinner I don't know; all I know is that I was blind and now I can see.' 26 They said to him, 'What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?' 27 He replied, 'I have told you once and you wouldn't listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to become His disciples yourselves?' 28 At this they hurled abuse at him, 'It is you who are His disciple, we are disciples of Moses: 29 we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don't know where He comes from.' 30 The man replied, 'That is just what is so amazing! You don't know where He comes from and He has opened my eyes! 31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but God does listen to people who are devout and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of someone born blind; 33 if this man were not from God, He wouldn't have been able to do anything.' 34 They retorted, 'Are you trying to teach us, and you a sinner through and through ever since you were born!' And they ejected him.

35 Jesus heard they had ejected him, and when He found him He said to him, 'Do you believe in the Son of man?' 36 'Sir,' the man replied, 'tell me who he is so that I may believe in Him.' 37 Jesus said, 'You have seen Him; He is speaking to you.' 38 The man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and worshipped Him.

39 Jesus said, ‘It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight may become blind.’ 40 Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to Him, 'So we are blind, are we?' 41 Jesus replied, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty, but since you say, “We can see,” your guilt remains.’

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) What part of this text touched me most? Why?

b) A popular saying goes, “None so blind as those who will not see!” How does this apply to the conversation between the blind man and the Pharisees?

c) By what titles is Jesus hailed in the text? Who pronounces these? What do they mean?

d) Which title do I like best? Why? Or, what picture of Jesus do I carry in my mind and my heart? Where does this picture come from?

e) How can I purify my eyes to see the true Jesus of the Gospels?

5. For those who wish to delve deeper into the text

a) The context within which the Gospel of John was written:

As we meditate on the story of the healing of the blind man, it is good to keep in mind the context of the Christian communities in Asia Minor towards the end of the first century for whom the Gospel of John was written and who identified with the blind man and his healing. Because of a legalistic view of the Law of God, they were blind from birth. But, as happened with the blind man, they too were able to see the presence of God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and were converted. It was a painful process! In describing the steps and conflicts of the healing of the blind man, the author of the Fourth Gospel recalls the spiritual journey of the community, from the darkness of blindness to the full light of faith enlightened by Jesus.

b) A commentary on the text:

John 9:1-5: Blindness before the evil that exists in the world

When the disciples see the blind man, they ask: “Rabbì, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to have been born blind?” In those days, a physical defect or sickness was thought to be a punishment from God. Associating physical defects with sin was the way the priests of the Old Testament kept their power over people’s consciences. Jesus helps his disciples to correct their ideas: “Neither he nor his parents sinned…he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him!” The works of God is the same as Sign of God. Thus, that which in those days was a sign of God’s absence, is now a sign of his brilliant presence in our midst. Jesus says: “As long as the day lasts I must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.” The Day of signs begins to manifest itself when Jesus, “on the third day” (Jn 2:1), makes present the “first sign” in Cana (Jn 2:11). But the day is about to end. The night is about to fall, because it is already “the seventh day”, the Sabbath, and the healing of the blind man is now the sixth sign (Jn 9:14). The Night is the death of Jesus. The seventh sign will be the victory over death at the resurrection of Lazarus (Jn 11). In John’s Gospel there are only seven signs, miracles, that announce the great sign, namely the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

John 9:6-7. The sign of the “One sent by God” who will provoke various reactions

Jesus spits on the ground, forms mud with his saliva, puts the mud on the eyes of the blind man and tells him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man goes and comes back healed. This is the sign! John comments saying that Siloam means sent. Jesus is the One sent by the Father who works the works of God, the signs of the Father. The sign of this ‘sending’ is that the blind man begins to see.

John 9:8-13: The first reaction: that of the neighbors

The blind man is well known. The neighbors have doubts: “Is this he?” And they ask: “How do your eyes come to be open?” The man who was blind testifies, “The Man called Jesus opened my eyes”. The basis of our faith in Jesus is to accept that He is a human being like us. The neighbors ask: “Where is he?” - “I don’t know!” They are not satisfied with the answer of the blind man and, to clarify matters, they bring the man before the Pharisees, the religious authorities.

John 9:14-17: The second reaction: that of the Pharisees

That day was a Sabbath and on the Sabbath it was forbidden to heal. When asked by the Pharisees, the man tells everything once more. Some Pharisees, blind in their observance of the law, say, “This man cannot be from God, He does not keep the Sabbath!” They could not admit that Jesus could be a sign of God because He healed the blind man on a Sabbath. But other Pharisees, faced by the sign, answer, “How could a sinner produce signs like this?” They were divided among themselves! So they asked the blind man, “What have you to say about him yourself, now that He has opened your eyes?” And he gives witness: “He is a Prophet!”

John 9:18-23: The third reaction: that of the parents

The Pharisees, now called the Jews, did not believe that he was blind. They thought that it was a matter of deception. So they called his parents and asked, “Is this man really your son who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?” Very carefully the parents reply: “We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we don’t know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself!” The blindness of the Pharisees before the evidence of the healing produces fear among the people. And anyone who professed faith in Jesus Messiah was excluded from the synagogue. The conversation with the parents of the blind man reveals the truth, but the religious authorities will not accept it. Their blindness is greater because of the witness given, now they will not accept the law that says that the witness of two persons is valid (Jn 8:17).

John 9:24-34: The final judgement of the Pharisees concerning Jesus

They call the blind man again and say, “Give glory to God! For our part we know that this man is a sinner.” Here: “give glory to God” meant, “Ask pardon for the lie you just pronounced!” The blind man had said, “He is a prophet!” According to the Pharisees he should have said, “He is a sinner!” But the blind man is intelligent. He replies, “I don’t know if he is a sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see!” There are no arguments against this fact! Again the Pharisees ask, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” The blind man answers with a touch of irony: “I have told you once…. Do you want to become His disciples too?” Then they insulted him and said, “You can be His disciple, we know that God spoke to Moses, but for this man, we don’t know where He comes from”. Again with a touch of irony the blind man replies, “Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes, and you don’t know where He comes from! …. If this man were not from God, He couldn’t do a thing”. Faced with the blindness of the Pharisees, the light of faith grows in the blind man. He does not accept the logic of the Pharisees and confesses that Jesus comes from the Father. This profession of faith costs him his expulsion from the synagogue. The same was happening in the communities of the end of the first century. Those who professed faith in Jesus had to break all family and community ties. This happens today: those who decide to be faithful to Jesus run the risk of being excluded.

John 9:35-38: The attitude of faith of the blind man towards Jesus

Jesus does not abandon those who are persecuted for His sake. When Jesus hears of the expulsion and meets the man again, He helps him to take a further step by inviting him to take on his faith and asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He replies, “Sir…tell me who He is that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to Him, “You are looking at Him; He is speaking to you”. The blind man exclaims, “Lord, I believe!” And he worships Jesus. The faith attitude of the blind man before Jesus is one of absolute trust and total acceptance. He accepts everything from Jesus. It is this faith that sustained the Christian communities of Asia towards the end of the first century, and that sustains us today.

John 9:39-41: A final reflection

The blind man who could not see ends up seeing better than the Pharisees. The communities of Asia Minor who were once blind, discover the light. The Pharisees who thought that they saw well are more blind than the man born blind. Bound by an ancient observance, they lie when they say they can see. None more blind that those who will not see!

c) A broader view:

- The Names and Titles given to Jesus

Throughout the story of the healing of the blind man, the Evangelist registers various titles, adjectives and names given to Jesus by a host of people, the disciples, the Evangelist himself, the blind man, the Pharisees and Jesus Himself. This way of describing the events in the life of Jesus was part of the catechesis of the time. It was a way of helping people to clarify their own ideas concerning Jesus and to identify themselves in His regard. Here are some of the names, adjectives and titles. The list shows the growth of the blind man in faith and how his vision becomes clear.

* Rabbì (master) (Jn 9:1): the disciples

* Light of the world (Jn 9:5): Jesus

* The One sent (Jn 9:7): the Evangelist

* Man (Jn 9:11): the healed man

* Jesus: (Jn 9:11): the healed man

* Does not come from God (Jn 9:16): some Pharisees

* Prophet (Jn 9:17): the healed man

* Christ (Jn 9:22): the people

* Sinner (Jn 9:24): some Pharisees

* We do know where he comes from (Jn 9:31): the healed man

* Religious (Jn 9:31): the healed man

* Does the will of God (Jn 9:31): the healed man

* Son of man (Jn 9:35): Jesus

* Lord (Jn 9:36): the healed man

* Lord, I believe! (Jn 9:30): the healed man

- The Name: “I AM”

To reveal the deep meaning of the healing of the blind man, the Fourth Gospel records the words of Jesus: “I am the light of the world” (Jn 9:5). In several places, in answer to questions people put to Jesus, the Gospel repeats this same statement “I AM”:

* I am the bread of life (Jn 6:34-48)

* I am the living bread come down from heaven (Jn 6:51)

* I am the light of the world (Jn 8:12; 9:5)

* I am the gate (Jn 10: 7,9)

* I am the good shepherd (Jn 10:11,25)

* I am the resurrection and the life (Jn 11:25)

* I am the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6)

* I am the vine (Jn 15:1)

* I am king (Jn 18:37)

* I am (Jn 8:24,27,58)

This self revelation of Jesus reaches its peak in His conversation with the Jews, when Jesus says, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He” (Jn 8:27). The name I am is the same as Yahweh, the name God gave in Exodus, an expression of the liberating presence between Jesus and the Father (Ex 3:15). The repeated affirmation I AM reveals the deep identity between Jesus and the Father. The face of God shines in Jesus of Nazareth: “To have seen Me is to have seen the Father!” (Jn 14:9)

6. Prayer: Psalm 117 (116)

A resume of the Bible in one prayer

Alleluia! Praise Yahweh,

all nations, extol Him, all peoples,

for His faithful love is strong

and His constancy never-ending.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The Meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman

A Dialogue that brings new life

John 4:5-42

1. Opening prayer

 Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us read the Scriptures in the same way that You read them to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. With the light of the Word in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the distressing events surrounding Your condemnation to death. The cross, which seemed to put an end to all hope, was revealed to them as the source of life and resurrection.

Create in us the silence necessary to hear Your voice in creation and in the Scriptures, in the events of daily life and in people, above all in the poor and the suffering. May Your word give us direction, just as it did to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, so that we too will experience the power of Your resurrection and bear witness to others that You are alive in our midst as the source of community, of justice and of peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, You who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key for unlocking the text:

The text describes the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. It is a very human conversation, which shows how Jesus related to people and how He Himself learned and became enriched in talking with others. While reading the text, try to be aware of what surprises you most about the attitude both of Jesus and the woman.

b) A division of the text to assist a careful reading:

Jn 4:5-6: Sets the scene in which the dialogue takes place

Jn 4:7-26: Describes the dialogue between Jesus and the woman

 7-15: about water and thirst

 16-18: about the husband and family

 19-25: about religion and the place for adoration

Jn 4:27-30: Describes the effect of the conversation on the woman

Jn 4:31-38: Describes the effect of the conversation on Jesus

Jn 4:39-42: Describes the effect on the mission of Jesus in Samaria

c) The text:

5-6: So He came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as He was from  His journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7-15: There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that You, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." The woman said to Him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

16-18: Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered Him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly."

19-26: The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

27-30: Just then His disciples came. They marvelled that He was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" They went out of the city and were coming to Him.

31-38: Meanwhile the disciples besought Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Has any one brought Him food?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

39-42: Many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

3. A moment of silent prayer

so that the Word of God can enter into us and light up our lives.

4. Some questions

to help us in our meditation and prayer.

a) What most attracted your attention in Jesus’ attitude toward the woman during the dialogue? What method did Jesus use to help the woman become aware of a deeper dimension to life?

b) What most attracted your attention about the attitude of the Samaritan woman during her conversation with Jesus? How did she influence Jesus?

c) Where in the Old Testament is water associated with the gift of life and the gift of the Holy Spirit?

d) How does Jesus’ attitude during the conversation question me or touch something within me or correct me?

e) The Samaritan woman led the discussion towards religion. If you could come across Jesus and talk to Him, what would you like to talk about? Why?

f) Do I adore God in spirit and in truth or do I find my security in rituals and regulations?

5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper.

a) The symbolism of water:

* Jesus uses the word water in two senses. The first sense is the material, normal sense of water that one drinks; the second is the symbolic sense as the source of life and the gift of the Spirit. Jesus uses a language that people can understand and, at the same time, awakens in them the desire to go deeper and to discover a more profound meaning to life.

* The symbolic sense of water has its roots in the Old Testament, where it is frequently a symbol for the action of the Spirit of God in people. For example, Jeremiah compares running water to water in a cistern (Jer 2:13). The more water is taken from a cistern, the less it has; the more water is taken from a stream of living water, the more it has. Other texts from the Old Testament: Isa 12:3; 49:10; 55:1; Ezek 47:1-3. Jesus knew the traditions of His people and He uses these in His conversation with the Samaritan woman. Suggesting the symbolic meaning of water, He suggests to her (and to the readers) various episodes and verses from the Old Testament.

b) The dialogue between Jesus and the woman:

* Jesus meets the woman at the well, a traditional place for meetings and conversations (Gen 24:10-27; 29:1-14). He starts off from His own very real need because He is thirsty. He does this in such a way that the woman feels needed and she serves Him. Jesus makes Himself needy in her regard. From His question, he makes it possible for the woman to become aware that He depends on her to give Him something to drink. Jesus awakens in her the desire to help and to serve.

* The conversation between Jesus and the woman has two levels.

(i) The superficial level, in the material sense of water that quenches someone’s thirst, and in the normal sense of husband as the father of a family. At this level the conversation is tense and difficult and does not flow. The Samaritan woman has the upper hand. At the beginning, Jesus tries to meet her by talking about daily chores (fetching water), but He does not succeed. Then He tries by talking about family (call your husband), and still there is no breakthrough. Finally the woman speaks about religion (the place of adoration). Jesus then gets through to her by the door she herself has opened.

(ii) The deeper level, in the symbolic sense of water as the image of the new life brought by Jesus, and of the husband as the symbol of the union of God with the people. At this level, the conversation flows perfectly. After revealing that He Himself is offering the water of new life, Jesus says, "Go and get your husband and then return". In the past, the Samaritans had five husbands, or five idols, attached to the five groups of people who were taken off by the King of Assyria (2 Kings 17:30-31). The sixth husband, the one the woman had at present, was not truly her husband: "the one you have now is not your husband" (Jn 4:18). What the people had did not respond to their deepest desire: union with God, as a husband who unites himself to his spouse (Isa 62:5; 54:5). The true husband, the seventh, is Jesus, as promised by Hosea: "I will espouse you to me forever; I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy. I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord." (Hos 2: 21-22). Jesus is the bridegroom who has arrived (Mk 2: 19) to bring new life to the woman who has been searching for it her whole life long, and until now, has never found it. If the people accept Jesus as "husband", they will have access to God wherever they are, both in spirit and in truth (vv. 23-24).

* Jesus declares His thirst to the Samaritan woman but He does not drink. This is a sign that we are talking about a symbolic thirst, which had to do with His mission: the thirst to accomplish the will of His Father (Jn 4:34). This thirst is ever present in Jesus and will be until His death. At the moment of His death, He says, "I am thirsty" (Jn 19: 28). He declares His thirst for the last time and so He can say, "It is accomplished." Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (Jn 19:30). His mission had been accomplished.

c) The importance of women in the Gospel of John:

* In John’s Gospel, women feature prominently seven times, which are decisive for the spreading of the Good News. To women are given functions and missions, some of which, in the other Gospels, are attributed to men:

- At the wedding feast in Cana, the mother of Jesus recognizes the limits of the Old Testament and affirms the law of the Gospel, "Do whatever He tells you". (Jn 2:1-11).

- The Samaritan woman is the first person to have revealed to her by Jesus the great secret, that He is the Messiah. "It is I who speak to you." (Jn 4:26). She then becomes the evangelizer of Samaria (Jn 4: 28-30, 39-42).

- The woman, who is called an adulteress, at the moment of receiving the forgiveness of Jesus, becomes the judge of the patriarchal society (or of male power) that seeks to condemn her. (Jn 8:1-11).

- In the other Gospels it is Peter who makes the solemn profession of faith in Jesus (Mt 16: 16; Mk 8:29; Lk 9:20). In the Gospel of John, it is Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, who makes the solemn profession of faith (Jn 11:27).

- Mary, the sister of Martha, anoints the feet of Jesus for the day of his burial (Jn. 12:7). At the time of Jesus, the one who died on a cross was not buried nor embalmed. Mary anticipated the anointing of Jesus’ body. This means that she accepted Jesus as the Messiah-Suffering Servant, who must die on the cross. Peter did not accept this (Jn.13:8) and sought to dissuade Jesus from this path (Mt. 16:22). In this way, Mary is presented as a model for the other disciples.

- At the foot of the cross, Jesus says, "Woman, behold your son; son, behold your mother" (Jn. 19:25-27). The Church is born at the foot of the cross. Mary is the model for the Christian community.

- Mary Magdalene must announce the Good News to the brothers (Jn. 20:11-18). She receives an order, without which all the other orders given to the apostles would have no effect or value.

* The Mother of Jesus appears twice in John’s Gospel: at the beginning, at the wedding feast in Cana (Jn. 2:1-5), and at the end, at the foot of the cross (Jn. 19:25-27). In both cases, she represents the Old Testament that waits for the arrival of the New, and, in both cases, assists its arrival. Mary unites what has gone before with what would come later. At Cana, it is she, the Mother of Jesus, symbol of the Old Testament, who perceives its limits and takes steps so that the New will arrive. At the hour of Jesus’ death, it is the Mother of Jesus, who welcomes the "Beloved Disciple". In this case the Beloved Disciple is the new community, which has grown around Jesus. It is the child that has been born from the Old Testament. In response to Jesus’ request, the son, the New Testament, welcomes the Mother, the Old Testament, into his home. The two must journey together. The New Testament cannot be understood without the Old. It would be a building without a foundation. The Old without the New would be incomplete. It would be a tree without fruit.

6. Psalm 19 (18)

God speaks to us through nature and through the Bible

The heavens are telling the glory of God;

and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech,

and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words;

their voice is not heard;

yet their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tent for the sun,

which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

and its circuit to the end of them;

and there is nothing hid from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever;

the ordinances of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is Thy servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can discern his errors?

Clear thou me from hidden faults.

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord,

my rock and my redeemer.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your word, which has helped us see better the will of the Father. Let Your Spirit illumine all that we do and give us the strength to carry out  what Your Word has made us see. Let us, like Mary, Your Mother, not only listen to the Word but also put it into practice. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The Transfiguration of Jesus

Matthew 17:1-9

1. LECTIO

a) Initial Prayer:

Oh God, who in the glorious Transfiguration of Christ, the Lord, confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness of the Law and of the prophets and  have admirably pre-announced our definite adoption as Your children, may we listen to the Word of Your Beloved Son to become coheirs of His immortal life.

b) Reading of the Gospel:

1 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There in their presence He was transfigured: His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as dazzling as light. 3 And suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with Him. 4 Then Peter spoke to Jesus. 'Lord,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; if you want me to, I will make three shelters here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' 5 He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and suddenly from the cloud there came a voice which said, 'This is My Son, the Beloved; He enjoys my favor. Listen to Him.' 6 When they heard this, the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear. 7 But Jesus came up and touched them, saying, 'Stand up, do not be afraid.' 8 And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but Jesus. 9 As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, 'Tell no one about this vision until the Son of man has risen from the dead.'

c) Moments of silence:

So that God’s Word may enter into us and enlighten our life.

2. MEDITATIO

a) Key for the Reading:

The Gospel according to Matthew insists on the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is why Matthew’s Gospel is the Gospel of the Church, that is of the People of God guided by its Head and Master Jesus, the Christ. The text which narrates the event of the Transfiguration forms part of a section of the Gospel in which, the Evangelist develops the theme of the beginning of the coming of the Kingdom in a group of disciples who gradually will constitute the Body of the Church. We find the account of the Transfiguration in all the Synoptic Gospels (Mk 9: 2-8; Lk 9: 28-36), and we also find a reference to this event in the second letter of Peter (2 Pet 1:16-18). The text of Matthew (17: 1-9) though presents some diversity. The account is found immediately after the first announcement of the Passion and the mentioning of the conditions necessary for the following of Christ and also the event of the glorification of the Son of Man in the glory of the Father (Mt 16: 21-28). Before the glorification, Jesus has to go to Jerusalem for the fulfillment of the Pascal mystery, that is: Passion, Death and Resurrection (Mt 16: 21). Those who desire and wish to follow Jesus have to deny themselves and then, also carry their cross to follow the Master. (Mt 16: 24). Only in this way can we participate in His glory: “Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mt 16: 25). Those who do not accept the event of the Cross in the life of Christ and therefore in the program of following him, are considered by Jesus as “Satan”, because they do not think “according to God but as human beings do” (Mt 16: 23). The command which Jesus addresses to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mt 16: 23) reminds us of a similar expression used by Jesus in the parable of the final judgment “When the Son of man comes in His glory”, (Mt 25: 31-46): “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41). This curse is addressed to those who do not know the Lord and  do not form part of His Kingdom.

Then follows the account of the Transfiguration (Mt 17: 1-9) with the question on the coming of Elijah and the healing of the epileptic demoniac (Mt 17: 10-21). After these events Jesus, for the second time, announces His Passion (Mt 17: 22) and concerning the question of the payment of taxes for the needs of the temple, Jesus plays on the words regarding the reality of son-ship (Mt 17:24-27). In the Transfiguration the Father declares that Jesus is “My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him” (Mt 17: 5). We are also sons and daughters, in Him, of the same Father (Mt 5: 45; Mt 17:25-26).

Jesus then presents Himself as our guide on the journey towards the Kingdom. In the account of the Transfiguration Jesus is presented as the new Moses who encounters God “on a high mountain” (Mt 17:1) in the “bright cloud” (Mt 17: 5), with His face shining (Mt 17: 2. Moses also encounters God in the cloud on Mount Sinai (Ex 24: 15-18) with the bright face (Ex 34: 29-35). Elijah also encounters the Lord on Mount Horeb, the mountain of God (1 Kings 19: 9-13). Just as in the event of Sinai (Ex 19: 20; 33-34), here also in the Transfiguration there is the revelation of the new law. To listen to the Beloved Son in whom God the Father is pleased (Mt 17: 5). This new law, given by God on Tabor by means of the new Moses, reminds us of what the Patriarch says in the Book of Deuteronomy: “Yahweh, your God will raise up a prophet like me; you will listen to him” (Deut 18:15). In this text of the Transfiguration, more important than the law, of which Jesus is the fulfillment (that is why after the vision the Apostles “saw no one, but Jesus alone” (Mt 17: 7), the revelation on the part of the Father,  who proclaims the divine filiation of Jesus Christ is stressed.  Besides this proclamation in the Transfiguration, the identity of the Son is proclaimed two other times in the Gospel of Matthew: at the beginning and at the end. After the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, a voice from heaven says: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am pleased” (Mt 3: 17); and when Jesus dies on the Cross, the centurion exclaims using words of revelation and of faith: “Truly this one was the Son of God!” (Mt 27:54). Besides, in this proclamation, the Father reveals Jesus as the servant of the Lord, pre-announced by Isaiah: “Behold my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights” (Isa 42:1).

The discovery of the identity of the Son, arouses in the three witnesses the fear of God, falling on their faces (Mt 17: 6). Already at the beginning of the Gospel, in the birth of Jesus, the Magi “Entering into the house saw the Child with His mother Mary, and falling to their knees, they did Him homage” (Mt 2: 11). A similar reaction is also found in the Gospel of John, after the self revelation of the Lord, in the account when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane. Jesus says to them: I am He!” [...] As soon as he said, “I am he”, they moved back and fell on the ground” (Jn 18:5-6). Also in the Book of Revelation, John “in ecstasy” (Rev 1:10), saw “one similar to a son of man […] his face like the sun shining with all its force” (Rev 1:12-16), and because of all these visions he fell at his feet like dead (Rev 1: 17). The apostle in Rom 14: 11 and Phil 2:10 will proclaim that before the Lord, “in the name of Jesus every knee will bow before Him in heaven, on earth and in the underworld; every tongue shall proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.

This vision is strictly linked to the mystery of the Passover, it seems like an apparition of the Risen Jesus in all His glory, it is a pre-announcement of the future life. For this reason, “coming down from the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about this vision until the Son of man has risen from the dead” (Mt 17: 9).

b) To orientate the meditation and the realization:

= Read once again the passage from the Gospel, and find in the Bible all the texts quoted in the key to the reading. Try to find other parallel texts which can help you to penetrate deeper into the text in meditation.

= Some questions:

i) Have you ever asked yourself who the Person of Christ is? Does your vision of the identity of Jesus correspond to that proclaimed in the Transfiguration?

ii) What meaning does the proclamation of Jesus as Son of God have in your life?

iii) Jesus cannot be understood without the Pascal mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection. What sense does this mystery have for you? How do you live it daily?

3. ORATIO

a) Psalm 97:

I seek Your face, oh Lord, show me Your face.

Yahweh is king!

Let earth rejoice, the many isles be glad!

Cloud, black cloud enfolds Him,

saving justice and judgement the foundations of His throne.

I seek Your face, oh Lord, show me Your face.

The mountains melt like wax,

before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim His saving justice,

all nations see His glory.

For you are Yahweh,

Most High over all the earth, far transcending all gods.

I seek Your face, oh Lord, show me Your face.

b) Concluding prayer:

Let us rejoice, Beloved,

and let us go forth to behold ourselves in your beauty

to the mountain and to the hill,

to where the pure water flows,

and further, deep into the thicket.

(John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 36)

4. CONTEMPLATIO

“Let us go forth to behold ourselves in your beauty”

This means: Let us so act that by means of this loving activity we may attain to the vision of ourselves in your beauty in eternal life. That is: That I be so transformed in your beauty that we may be alike in beauty, and both behold ourselves in your beauty, possessing then your very beauty; this, in such a way that each looking at the other may see in the other their own beauty, since both are your beauty alone, I being absorbed in your beauty; hence, I shall see you in your beauty, and you will see me in your beauty, and I shall see myself in you in your beauty, and you will see yourself in me in your beauty; that I may resemble you in your beauty, and you resemble me in your beauty, and my beauty be your beauty and your beauty my beauty; wherefore I shall be you in your beauty, and you will be me in your beauty, because your very beauty will be my beauty; and thus we shall behold each other in your beauty. (John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 36/5)

Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the desert

Temptations in the desert of life

Matthew 4:1-11

1. Opening prayer

 Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us read the Bible as You read it to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross, which seemed to signal the end of all hope, appeared to them as source of life and resurrection.

Create silence in us that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in Scripture, in events and people, above all in the poor and the suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of brotherhood and sisterhood, of justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who have revealed the Father and sent Your Spirit. Amen

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

Let us read this text describing the temptations of Jesus, temptations that are also those of all human beings. While reading this text we should pay attention to the following: what are the temptations, where do they take place, and how does Jesus deal with them?

b) A division of the text to help with the reading:

Mt 4:1-2: The situation where and whence the temptation arises: desert, spirit, fast and hunger

Mt 4:3-4: The temptation concerning bread.

Mt 4:5-7: The temptation concerning prestige.

Mt 4:8-11: The temptation concerning power.

c) The text:

1-2: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward He was hungry.

3-4: And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But He answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

5-7: Then the devil took Him to the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give his angels charge of you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

8-11: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to Him, "All these I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.'" Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

3. A time of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may enter into our hearts and enlighten our lives.

4. Some questions

to help us meditate and pray.

a) What were the temptations? What is the connection between the Spirit, the desert, the fast and hunger and the temptation of Jesus?

b) What does the word temptation suggest to us today? How does it affect me in my daily life?

c) The tempter or Satan is he what takes me away from or makes me deviate from God’s path. It may be that I have already been Satan for someone, just like Peter was for Jesus.

d) The Spirit leads Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil. This calls to mind the temptations of the people in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. What does Matthew wish to suggest and teach through this reminder of the temptations of the people in the desert?

e) The devil uses the Bible to tempt Jesus. Jesus uses the Bible to overcome  temptation! Can the Bible be used for everything? How and for what end do I use the Bible?

f) The temptation of the bread. How can we speak of God to those who have all they need? How can we speak of God to those who are hungry?

g) The temptation concerning prestige. Prestige from knowledge, from money, from faultless moral conduct, from appearances, from fame, from honor: Do these exist in my life?

h) The temptation concerning power. Wherever two people meet, a relationship of power comes into play. How do I use the power that comes my way: in my family, in the community, in society, in my neighborhood? Do I give in to the temptation?

5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper into the matter.

= Jesus was tempted. Matthew renders the temptations intelligible: temptation of  bread, temptation of prestige, temptation of power. These are various forms of messianic hope that, then, existed among the people. The glorious Messiah who, like a new Moses, would feed the people in the desert: "command these stones to turn into bread!" The unknown Messiah who would impose himself on all by means of a spectacular sign in the Temple: "throw yourself from here!" The nationalist Messiah who would come to dominate the world: "All these things I will give to you!"

= In the Old Testament, identical temptations allow the people in the desert to fall after their exodus from Egypt (Deut 6:3; 6:16; 6:13). Jesus repeats history. He resists the temptations and prevents them from perverting God’s plan. The tempter or Satan is whatever makes us deviate from God’s plan. Peter was Satan for Jesus (Mt 16:23).

= Temptation was always there in the life of Jesus. It went with Him from the beginning to the end, from His baptism to His death on the cross. The more the proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom spread in the midst of the people, the greater the pressure on Jesus to adapt Himself to the messianic expectations of the people to be the messiah desired and expected by others: "a glorious and nationalist messiah", "a messiah king", "a messiah high priest", "a messiah judge", "a warrior messiah", "a messiah doctor of the law". The letter to the Hebrews says, "Like us, he was tried in all things, except sin" (Heb 4:15).

= But temptation never succeeded in distracting Jesus from His mission. He continued firmly on His journey as "The Servant Messiah", as proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah and awaited especially by the poor, the anawim. In this, Jesus did not fear provoking conflicts with the authorities and with those dearest to Him. All those who tried to make Him deviate from his path received hard replies and unexpected reactions:

* Peter tried to take Him away from the cross: "Far from it, Lord, this will never happen!" (Mt 16:22). And he heard the reply, "Get behind me, Satan!" (Mk 8:33).

* His relatives, wanted to take Him home. They thought He was mad (Mk 3:21), but they heard harsh words, which seemed to create a rupture (Mk 3:33). Then, when Jesus had become famous, they wanted Him to appear more often in public and to remain in Jerusalem, the capital (Jn 7:3-4). Again, Jesus replies showing that there is a radical difference between his purpose and theirs (Jn 7:6-7).

* His parents complained: "Son, why have You done so?" (Lk 2:48). But Jesus replies, "Why were you looking for Me? Do you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?" (Lk 2:49).

* The apostles were glad of the publicity Jesus was getting in the midst of the people and wanted Him to turn towards the people. "Everyone is looking for You!" (Mk 1:37). But they heard the refusal, "Let us go elsewhere, to the neighboring villages and cities, so that I may preach also to them; it is for this that I have come!" (Mk 1:38).

* John the Baptist wanted to coerce Jesus into being "the strict judge messiah" (Lk 3:9; Mt 3:7-12; Mt 11:3). Jesus reminded John of the prophecies and asked him to compare them to facts, "Go tell John what you have heard and seen!" (Mt 11:4-6 and Isa 29:18-19; 35:5-6; 61:1).

* The people, when they saw the signs of the multiplication of the bread in the desert, concluded, "This surely is the prophet who is to come on earth!" (Jn 6:14). They got together to urge Jesus to be "the messiah king" (Jn 5:15), but Jesus took refuge on the mountain to be with the Father in solitude.

* When in prison and at the hour of darkness (Lk 22:53), the temptation to be "the warrior messiah" appeared. But Jesus says, "Put your sword back into its scabbard!" (Mt 26:52) and "Pray that you may not enter into temptation" (Lk 22:40,45).

= Jesus turned to the Word of God and there found light and nourishment. Above all, it is the prophecy of the Servant, proclaimed by Isaiah (Isa 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:3-9; 52:13-53, 12) that fills Him and motivates Him to go on. At the baptism and in the transfiguration, He receives the Father’s confirmation for His journey, His mission. The voice from heaven repeats the words with which Isaiah presents the Servant of Yahweh to the people, "This is My beloved Son, hear Him!" (Mk 1:11; 9:6).

= Jesus defines His mission with these words, "The Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life for the redemption of many!" (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45). This lesson He learned from His mother, who said to the angel, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word!" (Lk 1:38). By turning to the Word of God to deepen awareness of His mission and by seeking strength in prayer, Jesus faced temptations. In the midst of the poor, the anawim, and united to His Father, faithful to both, He resisted and followed the way of the Servant Messiah, the way of service to the people (Mt 20:28).

6. Psalm 91 (90)

God our protector is with us in times of temptation

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,

who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,

will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress;

my God, in whom I trust."

For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence;

He will cover you with His pinions,

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge,

the Most High your habitation,

no evil shall befall you,

no scourge come near your tent.

For He will give his angels charge of

you to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the adder,

the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows My name.

When he calls to Me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him,

and show him My salvation.

7. Closing prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your word, which has made the Father’s will clearer to us. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and give us the strength to follow what Your Word has revealed to us. Like Mary, Your Mother, may we not only listen to the Word but also put it into practice. Who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.