Dare to be like Jesus

^{By Sister Darla Jean Voglesang}
The reading for the Fourth Sunday of Lent is John 9:1-41, the Gospel of the man born blind.

In this reading, Jesus encounters a man who had been blind from birth, and gives him the gift of sight.

The narrow-minded and unloving challenge Jesus’ compassion and gift of healing one thought to be born blind because of sin. The man is a predefined a “sinner.”

But Jesus assures them all that blindness is not caused by sin — but the sin of judgment and condemnation can cause blindness.

The man who is now able to see is able to believe in Jesus, and see the beauty and goodness that is around him, because of the mercy and compassion he has experienced.

Blindness can be a refusal to see, and sin the refusal to grow in knowledge and understanding of a person or their situation. The Ursuline Mission responds to the needs of the times and can be judged and condemned in our service to the marginalized, the blind, the lost.

But we are called to the Mission of Jesus, to reveal the works of mercy that give sight to the blind and new life to those who are lost. So we dare to do what Jesus did and follow Him.