Sharing
the Word of God
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit
As we gather at home on this
Sunday morning. Let us spend some time in the presence of the Word of God.
Let us pray
O God, who through your Word
reconcile the human race to yourself in a
wonderful way,
grant, we pray,
that with devotion and eager faith
your people may hasten
toward the hope of Easter.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of
the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Let us become open to the Word
as me meditate on the psalm for this Sunday
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping
spirit.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me
comfort.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is
overflowing.
Surely
goodness and kindness
shall follow me all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and
ever.
We can read this psalm again
and pick out the phrase or word that speaks to us in a special way.
Open to God’s Word let us now
reflect on the Gospel for Sunday
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to
John (Jn 9:1-42)
As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had
been blind from birth. He spat on the
ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man
& said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’. So, the blind man went
off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored. His neighbours and people who earlier had
seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others
said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’
They brought the man who had been blind
to the Pharisees. It had been the
Sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the
Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my
eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then
some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the
Sabbath.’ Others said, ‘how could a
sinner produce signs like this?’ And
there was disagreement among them. So,
they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself,
now that he has opened your eyes?’ He is
a prophet’ replied the man. ‘Are you
trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since
you were born!’ And they drove him
away.
Jesus heard they
had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in
the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir’ the man replied
‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is
speaking to you’. The man said, ‘Lord, I
believe’, and worshipped him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Let us spend some time in Silence
Reflection on the
Gospel
In
this story Jesus reveals to a man born blind both the gift of sight and the
light of faith which brings salvation.
Furthermore John, great dramatist that he is, presents the story in the
light of a great irony, i.e. that those who consider themselves to be living in
the light of faith (the Pharisees), are actually the persons most in the
dark. And what is at the heart of their
darkness, according to John? A stubborn
refusal to accept that Jesus comes from God, held so strongly as to justify the
diminution of other people’s extraordinary life experiences, including
reception of sight by a man born blind.
Can
you relate in any way to the man born blind?
Have you ever known others to refuse to share in your joy or diminish
your personal experience in a disinterested or hostile way?
It takes great strength of character today to openly profess one’s faith.
And
where is the risen Christ in the midst of our personal present-day challenges
and upheavals? I dare suggest he is here
with us, that he has gathered us, and puts to us the same question he put to
the man who received his sight: ‘Do you
believe in the Son of Man?’
Silence
Let
us open our heart in prayer:
·
That in this time of challenge that we may
keep hope alive…
·
For all those who are working to slow down
the spread of the virus that they may be given wisdom…
·
For all the medical professionals that
they may be given the strength and skills that are needed…
·
For scientist who are working on a
vaccine, that they may have the gift of understanding to reach this goal…
·
For all who are anxious and worried that
they may be supported …
·
For those who are isolated, or have lost
their jobs, that they may not feel alone…
·
That we may support each other and ensure
the safety of all…
·
That those who have died may find peace…
·
For the prayer in my heart today…
Let
us turn to the Lord who offers us the bread for each day as we pray
Our
Father…
Prayer
O
God, who enlighten everyone who comes into this world,
enlighten
our hearts, we pray,
with
the splendour of your grace,
that
we may always ponder
what
is worthy,
and
love you in all sincerity.
Through
Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Look
upon those who call to you, O Lord,
and
sustain the weak;
give
life by your unfailing light
to
those who walk in the shadow of death,
and
by your mercy bring us to reach the highest good.
Through
Christ our Lord.
Amen
May
the Lord bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting
life.
Amen