Sunday Inbox Inspiration: March 19, 2023: 4th Sunday of Lent, March 19, Cycle A

 4th Sunday of Lent

Cycle A

March 19, 2023          5pm 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 A Blind Spot

There is a story about a man named Joe who had just sat down at his desk to begin his workday.
 
One of his associates, a guy named Greg, came running in, breathless and with the color drained from his face. Greg said, “I was almost killed.
 
“I had stopped at the deli where I buy an egg salad sandwich every morning. Then I got onto the interstate and within two miles it happened.
 
“This red sports car came speeding up on my right side and cut over right in front of me. I mean, he had to be going eighty and he came within inches of hitting me. 
 
“And then he drifted into the lane to my left and sideswiped the car there. I mean, it was terrifying.
 
“That car sideswiped the jersey barrier and, in an instant, two other cars were hit, and all the traffic came to a screeching stop. I mean, I came so close to getting killed.” 
 
Greg added: “I could have died there and then. It could have been all over.”
 
There was a moment of silence, and then Joe spoke.  “So, do you eat an egg salad sandwich every morning?”  
  

Blind Spots 

 
Well, Joe got so focused on the egg salad sandwich that he was blind to the terror his associate had just experienced.
 
In today’s gospel, Jesus gives sight to a man who was born blind. But he is also speaking to the rest of us – telling us to be aware of our blindness or blind spots.
 
Sometimes we can be just like Joe in that office. Probably we all have some spiritual blindness or blind spots that keep us from seeing things as they are. 
 
In this gospel, we see three of the causes of our spiritual blind spots.
 

Cause 1: Preconceptions

 
First, preconceptions or preconceived ideas cause blind spots. Jesus’ apostles believe that physical disabilities like blindness are caused by sin.  
 
Jesus straightens out their thinking and tells them that no one’s sin caused this. But it’s pretty clear that this preconception causes a blind spot in the apostles, and they look down on this man and his parents.
 
Preconceptions can also cause spiritual blindness in us. For example, I saw a media report that promotes a preconception about anyone who uses food stamps or other forms of government assistance.
 
No question, there can be abuses, but sometimes our preconceptions lead us to blame the poor for their situation and look down on them. So, preconceptions like this create blind spots and keep us from seeing others as persons like us.    
 

Cause 2: Fear

 
Then fear can also cause blind spots. The parents of the man born blind are afraid to understand how their son has gained his sight.  
 
They are afraid that they will be alienated from the synagogue and their friends. Their fear causes a blind spot and keeps them from seeing the truth about Jesus.
 
Fear can also cause spiritual blindness in us. Maybe we refuse to talk with a friend about some tensions in our relationship because we are afraid of what they might say about us.
 
We are afraid that we will have to admit to some thoughtlessness on our part also. So, our fear can cause a blind spot and keep us from seeing the truth about ourselves.
 

Cause 3: Self-Interest

 
And finally, self-interest can cause blind spots. The religious leaders in this gospel story feel very threatened by Jesus.  
 
They wonder what will happen to them if people continue to flock to Jesus. This self-interest causes a blind spot and locks them into ways that are harmful.
 
Self-interest can also cause spiritual blindness in us. Self-interest can cause a supervisor to refuse to listen to criticism because it might call into question their competence.
 
The supervisor blocks the ideas and just continues as they have been doing. So, self-interest can create a blind spot, and this can keep us stuck in bad behavior.
 

Conclusion

 
So, Jesus today is calling each of us to take the position of the man born blind and admit our spiritual blindness or blind spots.   
 
And from this passage, we are to see – to see how our preconceptions, our fears, and our self-interest can cause blind spots in us. Jesus wants to heal us of that blindness and open our eyes.    
   
 
Fr. Michael Schleupner

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: March 5, 2023: 2nd Sunday of Lent, March 5, Cycle A

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations 

2nd Sunday of Lent 

 Cycle A

March 5, 2023

 

Three Recommendations

 

Today I want to make three recommendations.

 

But before I get into them, I want to explain why I am doing this. And that takes us to today’s gospel.

 

Transfiguration/Transformation

 

We hear that Jesus “is transfigured before” three of his apostles.

 

Instead of the word “transfigured,” we might say transformed. Jesus is seen in a way that he was never seen before. 

 

For the first time, these three apostles see him for who he really is. The passage says that “Moses and Elijah appeared, [talking with Jesus].” 

 

Moses was the great lawgiver. God had given to him the Ten Commandments. 

 

And Elijah was the last of the great prophets. They believed that he would return before the Messiah came. 

 

So, the presence of Moses and Elijah here means that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets – of everything in their Scriptures. That had to be an overwhelming idea for these three apostles.

 

And then, as if that isn’t enough, there is a voice from the heavens: “This is my beloved Son.”The Almighty One, God himself, confirms that Jesus is special, even unique, his Son, the Son of God.  

 

So, these apostles are now seeing Jesus for who he really is – a person like them, but also a person who is God’s Son; human, and yet in some way also divine. That’s what this transformation of Jesus means.

  

Transformation of Us 

 

This gospel also calls us to be transformed. 

 

In fact, this is what Lent is all about. This is the positive way to look at Lent – our allowing ourselves to be transformed by God, by Jesus. 

 

This is why Lent calls us to look closely at ourselves and identify our dark sides, our areas of sinfulness. And this takes me back to where I began.

 

I have three recommendations to assist us in our becoming aware of our imperfections and in asking God’s forgiveness and help. And all of this is for our transformation in Christ.  

 

1^st Recommendation: Daily 

 

My first recommendation is that every day, we pray what we usually call an Act of Contrition.

 

We make this prayer after reflecting on our day or the day before and identifying any time that we did not follow the way of Christ. In this prayer, we ask for forgiveness and for God’s grace to grow and do better.

 

Many of us learned an Act of Contrition a long time ago and we know it by heart.  Some of us prefer to pray this in our own words, and that’s fine too.

 

In today’s bulletin, and on the website, I have placed two other options for this prayer that come from the Church’s official ritual. My recommendation is that we do this daily, every day, as part of our prayer life.

 

2^nd Recommendation: Weekly 

 

My second recommendation is weekly – that every Sunday, right at the beginning of Mass, in the brief penitential prayer, we bring to God just one thing.

 

Bring to God the number one thing for which we need forgiveness. The number one habit or area of our lives where we need to grow. 

 

I often suggest that we bring the same thing week after week, probably for months. We do this because you and I change slowly.

 

Our transformation, unlike Jesus’ on the mountain, is not instant. It takes time.

 

So, we bring this week after week and hear the words of God’s forgiveness through the priest. And in that, we allow the grace of God to work with us and help us to grow.   

 

3^rd Recommendation: Seasonal 

 

My third recommendation is seasonal – that we think about the place of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially during this Season of Lent.

 

I am using the term Sacrament of Reconciliation and not confession. Many of our theologians see this a more appropriate title for this sacrament. 

 

We name it by what it is intended to do, its purpose, and not by one of its parts. It is about reconciliation with God, with myself, and with others, and my confession is just part of that. 

 

The Church teaches that we have to come to this sacrament only if we are guilty of something serious. Traditionally, we have spoken of mortal sin.

 

So, something like being unfaithful to our vocation and basic commitment in life. The Church teaches that we are to bring serious things like this to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

 

The Church also encourages us to use the Sacrament for lesser sins. Reconciliation can help us in our overall personal growth.

 

Now, the choice to do this or the frequency for this is up to us. I am simply encouraging that in this Season of Lent, we put this Sacrament on our radar screen and see if it has a place for us. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, three recommendations: one daily, one weekly, and one seasonal – and all of them to assist in our being transformed, in our growing more and more in the likeness of Jesus. 

   

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner