Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A: Coming Out of the Darkness and Into the Light

Joe Paprocki Spiritual Growth

Christ Healing the Blind - El Greco

As in last week’s Gospel about Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, this Sunday’s Gospel reading (John 9:1–41) has many allusions to Baptism. The washing of the man in the pool of Siloam is a prototype for Christian Baptism. Through the man’s encounter with Jesus, the man born blind is healed, his sight is restored, and his conversion to discipleship begins.

The man born blind gradually comes to a greater understanding about who Jesus is and what it means to be his disciple, while the Pharisees (those who should see) are the ones who remain blind. Physical blindness, in this reading, is a metaphor for spiritual blindness—the inability to recognize God’s merciful presence in our midst. To be restored to sight is to arrive at a deeper awareness and understanding of Jesus, who is the Word made Flesh. During the season of Lent, we re-visit our Baptism and ask that we once again can be washed clean and our sight restored.

  • What experiences in life can cause us to lose sight of the light and to get lost in the darkness?
  • Describe an experience when you found yourself coming out of the darkness and into the light.

Here are links to videos related to the theme of this Sunday’s Gospel.

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About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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