Spiritual Physics of Conversion and Salvation

Fourth Sunday of Lent

First Reading: First Samuel 16: 1, 6-7, 10-13

Second Reading: Ephesians 5: 8-14

Gospel: John 9: 1-41

The Salvific Journey occurs between the lowest points of our humanity and the Kingdom of Heaven.  By his grace, God often selects the lowest, and weakest among us to hear his word and carry out his will.  We see this in his instruction to Samuel to go and find the new king among the sons of Jesse in Bethlehem. Jesse doesn't even bother to include David, the soon to be king, when prompted by Samuel to bring forth his sons.  David was the youngest, the weakest and surely could not be the one God has chosen.

We find the same truth embedded in many of the events and stories of Jesus.  Jesus works miracles for the Gentiles and the marginalized.  He eats with prostitutes, and criminals, and tax collectors.  He touches lepers and heals the blind and raises the dead.  Jesus goes to the lowest of the low in social class and society of the time.  Wherever we see Jesus we see goodness and light, but we also see controversy and shadows as many would rather remain in the dark.

As we read the story of Jesus healing the blind man let us remember that so it goes for many stories of conversion.  The man is born blind.  And upon being given the gift of sight by Jesus, he doesn’t know who Jesus is; some man healed him as far as he’s concerned.  Then he recognized Jesus as a prophet before recognizing Jesus as being of God and finally realizing that He is God.

Darkness to light, blindness to sight, death to new life – that is the process of conversion.  That is the path that God has laid down before all of us.  Jesus is God, let us let Him heal our blindness so we can see the suffering all around us and do something to heal it.