How often do we judge people based on their appearances? The first reading even has the prophet Samuel making the same mistake. Perhaps as we go through our Lenten observances, we should be particularly cautious about pegging people based on an insufficient knowledge. Which of us can see another’s heart or understand their mind? Along with the psalm we are reminded that God alone is our shepherd, we need to trust in His guidance.
This dovetails with Paul’s argument that we live as children of light. Such light produces goodness and righteousness and truth. Such can only happen when we learn what is pleasing to God and respond and act accordingly. If you listen to the Gospel antiphon sung during the alleluia before the gospel reading you will hear the scriptures that remind us that whoever follows Jesus will have the light of life.
In the Gospel of the blind man, the disciples wrongly attribute the man’s blindness to the fact that someone must have sinned. Jesus reminds us that such thinking is not accurate. The disciples are coming from a perspective that negative things are God’s punishment for sin; that if people were good and holy nothing evil would befall them. This attitude is clear from the line where the Pharisees state, ”This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” In today’s world we sometimes hear the same thing when people become sick or have accidents. They ask what they did to deserve such. In most cases they did nothing to deserve such. We need to remember that we do not always understand why God allows such things to happen. Our challenge is to trust that whatever misfortunes happen in our lives, they are opportunities to glorify God, as Jesus points out.
Countenance of God 