Author: SHSS

Sunday is the Fourth Sunday in Lent. In the Gospel, we meet the man born blind. In this text, a man blind from birth comes to see Jesus as the Messiah. The Gospel story tells us about his faith journey.

When the man born blind is first asked who healed him, he says that Jesus healed him. The second time he is asked about Jesus, the man born blind says Jesus is a prophet. Finally, the man born blind comes to believe that Jesus is the Son of Man. Thus, faith and insight into the identity of Jesus came gradually. Faith grew in him through his thinking and reflecting.

The questions posed to him and the answers he offered illustrate the development of faith in the blind man’s heart. Notice the development of this passage. The questioning of the Man Born Blind seems to resemble the questions put to Jesus during his passion. The presentation also seems similar to the questioning of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith.

Beware of the contrast between the leaders of the people and the Man Born Blind. With each question, the blind man comes to a deeper insight into the identity of Jesus. While the leaders seem to be blinded to the identity of Jesus due to their hardness of heart, the blind man comes to faith.

Faith as Illumination

Baptism in the ancient church was called illumination because faith gave us light to see beyond the literal or physical world. Faith enlightened the person. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are told that faith is the conviction of things unseen.

As we journey on to Easter and the renewal of our baptismal promises, what questions about the faith do you have? Do you struggle with some of the aspects of faith? Has your faith grown over the years? May there be some blind spots in your thinking and perceptions of Jesus? Are there perception problems we may be having in seeing the truth about ourselves or someone we love?

What actually blinded the leaders? Were they really blind? Were they fearful of Jesus? Did they think they would lose their privileged position? Were they afraid of change? The life of the Man Born Blind changed after he was given sight. He could no longer beg. He could no longer claim to be ignorant. He had to take responsibility for his own life.

Responsibility in the Light

We are responsible for what we know. To know and understand is another way of being in the light. Ignorance is another way of being in the dark. Seeing can be a dangerous thing.

If we confess Jesus, how does our life change? What attitudes in us need to change? What behaviors need to change in us if we profess our faith in the Lordship of Christ Jesus? What behaviors are not compatible with faith in the Lord?

Lent calls us to a deeper inner conversion to the mind and heart of Christ Jesus. Professing to believe in Christ carries a great responsibility. What prevents us from seeing? How do we see? Do we see what actually is, or do we see what our minds wish us to see?

God is light. In the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John, we read that Jesus is the light that the darkness cannot overcome. Do we really want to see?

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
March 15, 2026

3rd Sunday of Lent: The Woman at the Well

Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Lent. The Gospel for the next three Sundays introduces us to the woman at the well, the man born blind, and Lazarus. These three Gospels make up the ancient baptismal catechism.

Each story invites us to answer the question posed by Jesus to his followers: “Who do you say I am?” Each of us must answer this personal question for ourselves.

The Woman’s Journey of Faith

In Sunday’s Gospel, we meet the woman at the well. I invite you to notice two points in the story: first, the progression of growth in faith and second, the sharing or proclamation of faith.

As we begin the story, Jesus meets this unnamed woman. She seems aloof, and when Jesus seeks to engage her in conversation, she seems distant, defensive, and even rude. Notice the conversation has two levels.

She is speaking about the water, which is a symbol for God. The woman is speaking about physical thirst. Jesus is speaking about the soul’s thirst for God. The soul thirsts for things which only God can satisfy.

Notice also the symbol for thirst. Thirst refers to the Israelites’ thirst in the desert. Notice also that Jesus thirsted on the Cross. Thirst is a major symbol in this story.

As Jesus continues to press the conversation, the woman comes to recognize Jesus as a Jewish man. When Jesus reveals knowledge he has about her, she softens her approach and calls him a holy man or a prophet.

Finally, at the end of the story, the woman recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. Her faith grew through her personal encounter with Jesus. Realizing who Jesus is, she is filled with joy and proclaims Jesus to her neighbors.

Do we realize for what and whom we thirst? Do we realize who Jesus is? If so, what difference does it make in our everyday lives?

Who Is This Woman?

Who is this mysterious unnamed woman we meet in the Gospel today? There are many answers to this question.

She is a symbol for all who are searching for change, who long for something greater, or who are on the verge of despair. She is the symbol for all those who may feel outside the religious community into which she was born due to the circumstances of life.

She is the sign of a used and abused woman who cannot face her neighbors out of embarrassment. She may be a sign of those who have made mistakes in life. She may be a person who has regrets over unwise relationships she has had.

She is the symbol of those who may be searching for acceptance and peace in her life. She is the sign of those whose spirituality is dry. She is the sign of all those who feel that God would never even look upon her.

She is the sign of so many of us who perhaps are angry with life in general and have settled for what is less than what could have been. 

She may be a person of little faith and trust in the religious institutions of her time. There are many of us who may feel the same way.

She may be a person who is truly disgusted with hypocritical religious leaders who have no understanding of the complexities of life and who lack kindness.

She meets Jesus and her life begins to change. Faith is a relationship with God in Christ Jesus.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
March 8, 2026