You may have heard the famous drinking toast, “Here’s mud in your eye,” a wish, perhaps, for good health or prosperity. This Sunday’s Gospel does relate to mud in a person’s eye: the blind man whom Jesus heals and restores. Jesus touches his eyes with a part of himself—his saliva—and earth, part of God’s good creation. Jesus goes directly to the blind man, doesn’t wait for him to ask for healing. (The truth of our lives is that it is Jesus who comes to us, even before we come to Him.)
After the man has washed in the pool called Siloam (“Sent,”) although there follows a debate and argument about who has the authority to heal,( to do a work on the Sabbath), this is a story about light and darkness, about the enlightenment and grace to see clearly who it is that brings us light and life. Jesus says,” As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” It is a story about the work of God in our lives: “This man was healed so that God’s works might be revealed” …. the darkness was not able to overcome the light.”
For us, Lent can be a time to open our eyes to the love and care that Jesus has for us, to acknowledge and follow him as our inseparable friend and center of our lives.
“Through his paschal mystery he accomplished the deed that has freed us from the yoke of sin and death, summoning us to proclaim everywhere his mighty works. We have been called out of darkness into his wonderful light.” …So, here’s mud in your eye!
Len Kraus, S.J.
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