Introduction
When we look around us what do we see in our homes, condos, apartments, neighborhoods, shopping malls, streets, highways, city, province, country, and world? Are we completely immersed in what we see or are we completely anointed by what we see?
Theme: “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” John 9:7
First Reading: 1 Samuel 16.1b, 6-7, 10-13
In the First Reading of today, the Lord summoned Samuel to anoint a new person to be
king over his people:
“Fill your horn with oil and set out;
I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 1 Samuel 16:1)
Initially, Samuel focused his look on the external signs and features, based on his
personal views, vision, and aesthetic take on things:
“When the sons of Jesse came,
Samuel looked on Eliab and thought,
“Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” (1 Samuel 16:6)
Maybe sometimes, our looks and visions are similar to that of Samuel (that is, focused
on the externals and personal features). The reality is that, we need to start from
somewhere, then enhance our looks and views to align with the vision of the Lord. We
need to be ready to be anointed in the oil of the look of God:
But the Lord said to Samuel,
“Do not look on his appearance
or on the height of his stature,
because I have rejected him;
for the Lord does not see as mortals see;
they look on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks on the heart….”
Jesse sent and brought David in.
Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.
The Lord said,
“Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”
Then Samuel took the horn of oil,
and anointed him in the presence of his brothers;
and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David
from that day forward.” (1 Samuel 16:7; 12-13)
In this First Reading of fourth Sunday of Lent 2020, we see the importance of three
things: look (vision), anoint, and send. We note the look of Samuel versus the look of
God. We notice the intended anointing of Samuel and the intended anoint of God.
Finally, we observe that God sends Samuel versus Samuel sends for David:
And Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send and bring him;
for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
Jesse sent and brought David in.
Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.
The Lord said,
“Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”
Then Samuel took the horn of oil,
and anointed him in the presence of his brothers;
and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David
from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:11-13)
In the First Reading of today, the Lord sends three people: Samuel to anoint David, Jesse to find his youngest son, and David to be king over his people. This fourth Sunday of Lent, God is sending each one of us as his anointed ones, no matter what, to be king and queen over what is going on (crisis, pandemic, isolation, distancing, quarantine, health, solidarity, humane, and divine). How are you embracing God’s anointing and errand this week of Lent? The Lord summoned Samuel: “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one” (1 Samuel 16: 12). How are you rising up to this summon within this week of Lent?
Responsorial Psalm: 23.1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
When the Lord sends us forth along the road, the path, the streets, the highways to accomplish his works, we may experience good moments and difficulties. We may cross zones and frontiers of challenges (dry pastures, turbulent waters, wrong paths, darkest valleys, evil terrains, pool of enemies but we can be sure of thing: The Lord leads us:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long” Psalm 23.1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Second Reading: Ephesians 5.8-14
The Second Reading of this fourth Sunday of Lent encourages us to stay within the light
(similar to Psalm 23) and visible works of God. This reading summons us to rise into
shining examples for God inspite of all the challenges we face:
“Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.
Live as children of light—
for the fruit of the light is found
in all that is good and right and true.
”Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness,
but instead expose them.
For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore it is said,
“Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5.8-14)
Gospel: John 9.1-41
In the Gospel of this fourth Sunday of Lent, Jesus tells a blind man: “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which means Sent) John 9:7”. This blind man represents all of humanity seeking not only a healing of looks and vision impaired by pathological or biological diseases and conditions but healing from all other spiritual and divine blindness caused by spiritual warfare and evil combat. All humanity (men and women, young and old, believers and non-believers, Pharisees and born-in-unfavorable conditions) are all Sent (Siloam) to recover some sort of sight, vision, insight, light, radiance, and anointing. Jesus “spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”, (which means Sent)” (John 9:6-7). Jesus thus anoints the vision and the insight of the whole humanity, represented by the blind person, so that each person may believe that each person is called to continue the works of God (like David, the children of light, blind man):
”Jesus heard that they had driven him out,
and when he found him, he said,
Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered, “And who is he, sir?
Tell me, so that I may believe in him.”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.”
He said, “Lord, I believe.”
And he worshipped him. (John 9:35-38)
Conclusions
This week, Jesus calls each person and Sends him/her forth to bring spiritual healing of sight, insight, and vision of safety and wellbeing into the world. God summons each person to receive a special anointing so that each person in turns anoint others with the oil of goodness, oil of belief, oil of worship, oil of solidarity, oil of encouragement, oil of comfort, and oil of safety measures and oil of trust in the “Son of Man” as we traverse the crisis and the world pandemic this week.