Jesus is the light of the world and, as the man born blind heals, so he wishes to restore our sight too. Yes, we all need his healing. Even if we see each other well, we must not assume of ourselves and the depth of our gaze. Jesus warns us, with a demanding and severe word: «If you were blind, you would have no sin; but as you say, “We see”, your sin remains. ” We also need a different look, like what God reveals to his prophet Samuel, sent to anoint a new king in place of Saul. Even Samuel, a prophet, who was called “the seer”, is tempted by spiritual blindness. He only sees appearances, letting himself be influenced by them; he cannot see the heart, as God can do. “Man sees appearance but the Lord sees the heart”. The Hebrew phrase can be translated differently: “God sees with the heart”. One can see in depth, as God sees, only by listening to his word and trying to judge from one’s own heart, provided it is a tender heart of flesh, not a hard heart of stone. However, there is a further healing that the Lord wants to give us, he who is the light of the world: making us children of the light. Once upon a time we were darkness, writes Paul, we must become light, knowing that “the fruit of light consists in all goodness, justice and truth”.

Commentary by Comunità di Dumenza

Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey