Healed by the Light

Devotional Reflection, Monday, April 7, 2025

The week of the fifth Sunday in Lent

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key phrases for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:

9:1As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

You will find the full text of today’s Gospel at the end of this reflection.

Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 956)

AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35

Jer. 24:1-10; Rom. 9:19-23; John 9:1-17

Today we celebrate the Feast of Tikhon.  (See below.)

David's Reflections

As Romeo waits below Juliet's balcony in Shakespeare's classic he says:  "He jests at scars that never felt a wound.”*  Anyone who has felt a wound connects with the story in today’s reading, both in terms of physical suffering and in terms of spiritual blindness.  Most of us have felt both wounds, physical pain and spiritual darkness.   We have the bruises to show how we’ve fumbled about, our wounds aching, in our personal lightless cave.  John's drama moves on two levels, the level of physical sight and the level of spiritual seeing.

This blind man experienced physical healing from Jesus--he saw for the first time.  But, beyond that, he moved progressively toward clearer spiritual vision until he came to faith in Jesus.  Simultaneously, the religious leaders stumbled toward greater blindness, refusing to see God's hand at work in Jesus' healing.  The story progresses, in the verses beyond today's reading, to the blind man's confessing faith in Jesus and to the religious leaders' more adamant rejection of Jesus.

If we are enabled to see anything of God's nature and presence, that seeing always comes about because Jesus has put "mud" on our eyes and had us wash, or, to put it another way, because we have been touched by Jesus' presence.  Christianity is not about discovering the truth by searching.  Rather, it is about being prompted to search by God's having drawn near and about being enabled to find by the God whose light teased us into searching.

Those flickerings lead us to faith that creates and sustains a relationship with God.  In that relationship, we experience that God and not just propositions about God.  We experience God's love in a relationship with the divine rather than merely embracing the idea that God is love.

For every bit of light that shines in us and dispels a bit of darkness, there is another shadow cast, another corner darkened that needs to be illumined.  Discipleship involves a life-long warfare against the darkness.  God’s loving light exposes the misunderstandings and distortions that lie within, enables us to release them and to embrace fuller light and truth.  Thank God for that healing light, the light of God’s love that continues to shine in our hearts.

As Thomas Merton put it in his autobiography:

     When a ray of light strikes a crystal, it gives a new quality to the crystal.  And when God's infinitely disinterested love plays upon a human soul, the same kind of thing takes place.  And that is the life called sanctifying grace.

     The soul of (humankind) man, left to its own natural level, is a potentially lucid crystal left in darkness.  It is perfect in its own nature, but it lacks something that it can only receive from outside and above itself.  But when the light shines in it, it becomes in a manner transformed into light and seems to lose its nature in the splendor of a higher nature, the nature of the light that is in it. +

* William Shakespeare, ”Romeo and Juliet," II. i. 1.

+Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain (New York:  Harcourt, Brace, 1948), pp. 169-70.

Collect of the Day, the Fifth Sunday in Lent

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP, 219)

Collect for Monday in the Fifth Week of Lent

Be gracious to your people, we entreat you, O Lord, that they, repenting day by day of the things that displease you, may be more and more filled with love of you and of your commandments; and, being supported by your grace in this life, may come to the full enjoyment of eternal life in your everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Weekday Eucharistic Propers, p. 40)

Today we celebrate the Feast of Tikhon, patriarch of Russia and confessor (died 7 April 19825 CE).

http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Tikhon.htm

Collect of the Feast of Tikhon

Holy God, holy and mighty, you call us together into one communion and fellowship: Open our eyes, we pray,  as you opened the eyes of your servant Tikhon, that we may see the faithfulness of others as we strive to be steadfast in the faith delivered unto us, that the world may see and know you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be glory and praise unto ages of ages. Amen.

A Collect for the Renewal of Life

O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (BCP, 99)

Of the Holy Spirit

Almighty and most merciful God, grant that by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit we may be enlightened and strengthened for your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP, 252)

A Prayer for Light

Almighty God, we give you thanks for surrounding us, as daylight fades, with the brightness of the vesper light; and we implore you of your great mercy that, as you enfold us with the radiance of this light, so you would shine into our hearts the brightness of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (BCP, 110)

A Collect for Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (BCP, 101)

Daily Office Gospel, John 9:1-17

9:1As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ 9Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ 10But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ 11He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ 12They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ 16Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. 17So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’

Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer

Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer