Today's Gospel (Jn 9:1-41): As Jesus walked
along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples
asked him, «Master, was he born blind because of a sin of his,
or of his parents?». Jesus answered, «Neither was it for
his own sin nor for his parents. He was born blind so that God's
power might be shown in him. While it is day we must do the work of
the One who sent me; for the night will come when no one can work. As
long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world». As
Jesus said this, he made paste with spittle and clay and rubbed it on
the eyes of the blind man. Then he said, «Go and wash in the
Pool of Siloam» (This name means sent.) So he went and washed
and came back able to see.
His
neighbors and all the people who used to see him begging, wondered.
They said, «Isn't this the beggar who used to sit here?».
Some said, «It's the one». Others said, «No, but he
looks like him». But the man himself said, «I am the
one». Then they asked, «How is it that your eyes were
opened?». And he answered, «The man called Jesus made a
mud paste, put it on my eyes and said to me: ‘Go to Siloam and
wash’. So I went, and washed, and I could see». They
asked, «Where is he?» and the man answered, «I
don't know».
The
people brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. Now it
was a sabbath day when Jesus made mud paste and opened his eyes. The
Pharisees asked him again, «How did you recover your sight?».
And he said, «He put paste on my eyes, and I washed, and now I
see». Some of the Pharisees said, «This man is not from
God, for he works on the Sabbath»; but others wondered, «How
can a sinner perform such miraculous signs?». They were divided
and they questioned the blind man again, «What do you think of
this man who opened your eyes?». And he answered, «He is
a prophet».
After
all this, the Jews refused to believe that the man had been blind and
had recovered his sight; so they called his parents and asked them,
«Is this your son? You say that he was born blind, how is it
that he now sees?». The parents answered, «He really is
our son and he was born blind; but how it is that he now sees, we
don't know, neither do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is
old enough. Let him speak for himself». The parents said this
because they feared the Jews who had already agreed that whoever
confessed Jesus to be the Christ was to be expelled. Because of this
his parents said, «He is old enough, ask him».
So
a second time the Pharisees called the man who had been blind, and
they said to him, «Tell us the truth; we know that this man is
a sinner». He replied, «I don't know whether he is a
sinner or not; I only know that I was blind and now I see».
They said to him, «What did he do to you? How did he open your
eyes?». He replied, «I have told you already and you
would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want
to become his disciples?». Then they started to insult him.
«Become his disciple yourself! We are disciples of Moses. We
know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man we don't know
where he comes from». The man replied, «It is amazing
that you don't know where the man comes from, and yet he opened my
eyes! We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone
honors God and does his will, God listens to him. Never, since the
world began, has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a
person who was born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do
nothing». They answered him, «You were born a sinner and
now you teach us!” And they expelled him».
Jesus
heard that they had expelled him. He found him and said, «Do
you believe in the Son of Man?». He answered, «Who is he,
that I may believe in him?». Jesus said, «You have seen
him and he is speaking to you. He said, «Lord, I believe»;
and he worshiped him. Jesus said, «I came into this world to
carry out a judgment: Those who do not see shall see, and those who
see shall become blind». Some Pharisees stood by and asked him,
«So we are blind?». And Jesus answered, «If you
were blind, you would not be guilty. Now you say: ‘We see’;
this is the proof of your sin».
