I was blind and now I see - 4th Sunday of Lent (Year A)

The Catholic Journey-Honest Faith/Life Discussions · I was blind and now I see

In today’s Gospel, we meet a man who has been blind from birth.

He has never seen a sunrise.

Never seen his parents’ faces.

Never seen the road in front of him.

And when the disciples see him, they ask a question that many of us ask when life is hard:

“Who sinned?”

Whose fault is this?

But Jesus answers in a surprising way:

“Neither he nor his parents sinned.

This happened so that the works of God might be made visible through him.”

In other words, this man’s life is not meaningless.

His suffering is not wasted.

God will use it for something greater.

Jesus then kneels down, makes clay with His saliva, and rubs it on the man’s eyes.

And He tells him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.”

The man could have said,

“Why mud?”

“Why walk there?”

“Why not heal me right now?”

But instead, he goes. He trusts. He obeys.

And when he washes…he can see.

That moment must have been overwhelming.

The first thing his eyes ever saw was light.

But what follows is even more remarkable.

Instead of joy, the man faces questioning.

Instead of praise, he faces doubt.

Instead of celebration, he faces rejection.

The Pharisees say, “This man cannot be from God.”

They examine him again and again.
They pressure him.
They threaten him.

But listen to his simple faith:

“All I know is this:

I was blind, and now I see.”

He doesn’t argue theology.

He doesn’t give a lecture.

He gives a witness.

That is how faith grows: not through winning arguments,

but through telling the truth of what God has done for us.

And when they throw him out of the synagogue,

Jesus goes to find him.

He does not leave him alone.

He seeks him out.

And when Jesus asks,

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

the man says,

“Lord, I believe,” and he worships Him.

This Gospel shows us something beautiful:

the man moves from darkness, to sight…
Then to faith…
and then to worship.

That is the journey of every Christian life.

Let me share that once again.

the man moves from darkness, to sight…
Then to faith…
and then to worship.

 

---

Let me share a short story to help us understand a little more deeply.

There was a little girl who was born with very poor eyesight.

She could not read books like the other children.

She could not see faces clearly.

She often bumped into things.

One day her mother asked her,

“Does it make you sad that you can’t see like the other kids?”

The girl thought for a moment and said,

“Sometimes… but God must have a reason.”

Years later, she was able to have a very special surgery.

And after the bandages were removed,

for the first time in her life, she saw clearly.

She began to cry.

Her mother said,

“Why are you crying? You can see now!”

And the girl answered,

“I think God wanted me to learn how to trust Him before I learned how to see.”

“I think God wanted me to learn how to trust Him before I learned how to see.”

 

Wow! That is wisdom, and from such a young soul.

And that is exactly what the blind man in the Gospel learned.

Before he ever saw Jesus’ face, he trusted Jesus’ voice.

Before he ever worshiped Him, he obeyed Him.

And that is why his healing becomes a miracle of the soul,
not just of the eyes.

---

Families, this Gospel speaks to us today because many of us can see physically… but we struggle to see spiritually.

We see our problems clearly.
We see our worries clearly.
We see the brokenness of the world clearly.

But do we see God at work?

Do we see His mercy?
Do we see His hand guiding us?
Do we see His presence in our homes?

The Pharisees see the miracle… but refuse to believe.

Why?

Because they already think they know everything.

But the blind man is humble.

He is open.

He is willing to be taught.

And that makes all the difference.

Children, this Gospel teaches you something important:
Jesus is not just someone you learn about.
He is someone you follow.

Parents and grandparents,
this Gospel reminds us that the most powerful faith we pass on
is not perfect knowledge… but lived trust.

The blind man does not say,

“I understand everything.”

He says,

“I was blind, and now I see.”

That is faith.

Faith does not mean life is easy.

It means life has light.

Faith does not mean there is no suffering.

It means suffering has meaning.

Faith does not mean we never struggle.

It means we never struggle alone.

---

And look at how this Gospel ends.

The man is cast out.

He loses his place in the community.

But Jesus finds him.

When the world pushes him away, Jesus pulls him close.

That is our hope.

When we are confused, Jesus finds us.

When we are afraid, Jesus finds us.

When we are rejected, Jesus finds us.

And He asks us the same question He asked that man:

“Do you believe?”

Not: “Do you understand everything?”

Not: “Have you figured it all out?”

But: “Do you trust Me?”

And when the man answers yes, he worships Jesus.

Because the goal of healing is not comfort.

The goal of healing is communion with God.

 

Let us end in prayer:

Lord, open our eyes.

Help us see Your hand in our lives.

Help us see Your love in our families.

Help us see Your grace even in our trials.

And when we do not understand,

let us still say with the man born blind:

“Lord, I believe.”

And may that faith become light not only for us,

but for our children,

and especially for

a world still searching for sight.

Amen

By your perseverance you will secure your lives (33rd Sunday Ordinary Time - Year C)

 

Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 21:5–19

(“By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”)

Today’s Gospel gives us words that can shake us.

Jesus speaks of destruction, wars, earthquakes, persecution…

He tells His disciples that even the beautiful Temple — the pride of Jerusalem — will be torn down stone by stone.

You can imagine their shock.

The Temple was everything to them — it was their place of worship, their security, their proof that God was near.

And yet Jesus says: “Not one stone will be left upon another.”

Why would He say that?

Because He wants them — and us — to understand that faith cannot be built on things that crumble.

Even the most sacred building, the strongest nation, the best of plans… can fall.

But the heart that trusts in God — that endures.

---

1. Jesus isn’t warning us to fear — He’s inviting us to trust.

Jesus is not trying to frighten His followers; He’s preparing them for reality.

He’s saying: “Your faith can’t depend on comfort, or calm, or control.”

Because those things change.

What matters most is perseverance — the kind of faith that doesn’t give up when the world shakes.

The early Christians knew this.

They faced ridicule, rejection, even death.

Yet they stood firm — not because they were fearless, but because they knew Who walked with them.

Jesus promised:

“Not a hair on your head will be destroyed.

By your perseverance, you will secure your lives.”

---

2. A Story of Faith in the Fire

Let me a simple story with you.

There was a young mother named Clare, raising three kids in

poor city neighborhood.

Her husband had left, her job barely covered the bills, and her oldest child started drifting into trouble.

She told her pastor, “I’m tired. I feel like everything’s falling apart.”

And he said, “Then hold onto the one thing that won’t fall apart — your faith.”

So every morning before work, she lit a candle before a small image of the Sacred Heart and prayed,

“Lord, I can’t fix everything — but I trust You’ll walk with me through it.”

Months later, when things finally began to turn around — she said,

“It wasn’t the world that changed first — it was my heart that stopped giving up.”

That, my friends, is perseverance.

That is faith that refuses to quit — even when life gets messy.

---

3. So, What Does This Means for Us Today

Every one of us here has our own “Temple.”

For some, it’s our health.

For others, it’s our home, our work, our sense of control, our plans for the kids, or our dreams for the future.

And when any of those start to fall apart, it shakes us to the core.

But Jesus says, “Do not be terrified.”

Because when the world around us trembles — God hasn’t gone anywhere.

He’s right there in the middle of the storm, waiting for us to look up and say,

“Jesus, I still trust You.”

He’s not calling us to fear what’s coming —

He’s calling us to trust Who’s coming.

---

4. So what does Perseverance in Everyday Life looklike?

Now perseverance doesn’t mean never being afraid.

It means showing up anyway.

It’s the father who still brings his family to Mass, even when the

kids fidget and life feels heavy.

It’s the grandmother who keeps praying her rosary every night,

even when her knees ache.

It’s the mother who cooks, cleans, and loves even when exhausted.

It’s the young adult who stays faithful in a world that tells them faith is old-fashioned.

That’s perseverance.

That’s the kind of quiet courage that builds holiness.

And you know — in our small parish, we see it every day.

We see it in the volunteers who clean and decorate the church,

In those who joyfully serve as sacristans, readers, altar servers, and extra ordinary Eucharistic ministers,

in parents who juggle jobs and still teach their children to make

the Sign of the Cross and pray together to God every night,

in those who carry hidden burdens but still smile and say, “Thanks be to God.”

That’s the strength Jesus speaks of today.

---

5. And then there is The Hope of the Gospel

Jesus never promised His followers an easy road.
He promised something better — His presence on the road.

He said, “I will be with you always.”

And when Jesus is with you, even the hardest trial becomes a path to grace.

The same Lord who foretold the Temple’s fall

is the same Lord who rose from the tomb.

He brings life from loss, and glory from suffering.

So when we look at the world — the chaos, the violence, the uncertainty —

don’t let your heart be troubled.

Because the story doesn’t end with destruction…
It ends with resurrection.

---

6. Closing: A Call to Faith

My friends, as we gather here in this little church —

as families, neighbors, and people of faith —

let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us that same holy perseverance.

To help us love when it’s hard,

to forgive when we’re tired,

to hope when we can’t see the outcome.

Because one day, when all the stones of this world have fallen,
what will remain is the soul that stood firm in Christ.

And we will hear Him say,

“Well done, my good and faithful servant…

by your perseverance, you have secured your life.”

Amen.

Jesus: Hate your Parents, Children, and Spouse

 

Homily on Luke 14:25–33

Today’s Gospel is one of those passages that can almost take our breath away.

Jesus says: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

At first hearing, these words sound harsh—even shocking.

Isn’t Jesus the one who taught us to love?

Isn’t He the one who calls us to honor our father and mother, to cherish our families, to lay down our lives for our friends?

Why then does He speak here about hating father, mother, wife, children, and even our own lives?

We must understand what Jesus is doing.

He is not commanding us to despise our loved ones.

He is using the strong language of the time to shake us awake—to make us realize that discipleship is not a hobby, not something we fit in when it’s convenient.

It is an all-consuming love, a total surrender, a willingness to place Him above every other love in our lives.

Think of it this way:

Jesus is saying, “I must come first.

If you want to follow me, I cannot be one option among many.

I must be your foundation, your compass, your everything.”

He gives us two examples:

the builder who starts a tower without counting the cost, and the king who goes into battle without considering the strength of his opponent.

In other words, discipleship requires foresight, commitment, and readiness.

Now, let’s pause here and ask ourselves honestly:

what does this mean for us, here and now, in our parish, in our lives?

For many of us, faith can sometimes slip into the background.

We pray when we have time.

We come to Mass when it’s convenient.

We place Christ somewhere in the mix of our priorities—but not always at the center.

Jesus, in this Gospel, is inviting us to something far deeper, far greater.

He is inviting us to total discipleship.

That means we are willing to carry our crosses.

It means we put Him first, even when it costs us something.

And it always does cost us something.

• For the young person, it may mean saying no to peer pressure and living differently than the crowd.
• For parents, it may mean putting faith into the center of family life—even when it’s easier to skip prayer, or when sports and activities compete with Sunday Mass.
• For someone in the workplace, it may mean choosing honesty and integrity even if it costs a promotion or prestige.
• For all of us, it means being willing to forgive when it’s easier to hold a grudge, to serve when it’s easier to be served, to give when it’s easier to keep.

Carrying the cross isn’t about seeking suffering for its own sake.

It’s about loving Jesus enough to choose Him above everything else, even when it hurts, even when it costs.

I want to share a little story.

A few years ago, a woman in another parish told me about her journey back to the Church.

For years she had lived her faith only half-heartedly.

She prayed sometimes, went to Mass occasionally, but her career was her real priority.

Then, one day, she received difficult news:

her mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Suddenly, all the things that had seemed so important—her promotions, her salary, her recognition—felt empty.

In caring for her mother, she rediscovered prayer.

She began to rely on Christ again, to surrender to Him.

She told me: “It wasn’t easy.

I had to let go of control.

I had to carry the cross of watching my mother suffer.

But in that cross, I found peace, and I found Him again.”

That’s what Jesus means.

When we place Him first—even above family, above our own lives—we don’t lose love, we don’t lose joy.

In fact, we discover them in their truest, deepest form.

St. John Paul II once said,

“The person who does not decide to love forever will find it very difficult to really love for even one day.”

That’s what Jesus is calling us to:

not a passing feeling, but a forever decision to put Him at the center.

And let’s be honest: this isn’t easy.

Sometimes discipleship feels overwhelming.

That’s why Jesus tells us to “count the cost.”

He wants us to know upfront: this is a demanding road.

But here’s the good news—He never asks us to walk it alone.

He doesn’t just say “carry your cross”; He says, “Come after me.”

He is out in front.

He carried His cross first.

He walks with us, strengthens us, and promises us that beyond the cross there is resurrection, beyond the sacrifice there is glory, beyond the surrender there is eternal life.

So what do we take from this Gospel today?

Let me suggest three invitations:

First, let’s examine our priorities. Ask yourself: who or what comes first in my life? Is Jesus truly at the center—or is He on the sidelines?

Second, let’s embrace the cross. What cross are you carrying right now? Illness? Family struggles? Wounds from the past? Instead of running from it, can we carry it with Him, and even offer it up as an act of love?

Third, let’s recommit to discipleship. That means making faith visible in daily life: setting aside time for prayer, making Sunday Mass non-negotiable, forgiving, serving, loving—even when it costs.

My friends, Jesus’ words may sound hard, but they are words of freedom.

When we place Him first, everything else falls into its proper place.

Our families, our work, our possessions—none of them are diminished.

They are purified, strengthened, and transformed.

The saints understood this.

Think of St. Francis of Assisi, who gave up wealth and comfort to follow Christ with total joy.

Think of St. Teresa of Calcutta, who embraced the poorest of the poor because she saw Christ in them.

Think of ordinary men and women—even in our own parish—who quietly, faithfully live their discipleship every day, putting Christ first.

Brothers and sisters, today Jesus looks at us with love, and He says:

“Follow me. Put me first. Carry your cross. Trust me with everything.”

The cost of discipleship is real.

But the reward is greater than we can imagine: eternal life with Him, and even now, a peace the world cannot give.

So let’s not be afraid.

Let’s count the cost—and then say yes.

For in saying yes to Him, we say yes to life, yes to love,

yes to the Kingdom of God.

Amen

100 Days to Freedom Program

 

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Woman caught in Adultery - Judgement - What do we fill our minds with?

 

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent Year C

Adapted from a Homily by Father Tommy Lane

What a contrast between the cruelty of the scribes and Pharisees and the compassion of Jesus in our Gospel (John 8:1-11). 

The scribes and Pharisees had no regard for the woman. 

They were only interested in using her to try to trap Jesus. 

She was a pawn in their game of chess. 

They had no regard for the fact that possibly she did not initiate the sin, perhaps it was the man.

But Jesus is full of compassion. 

He restored the woman again, in two ways. 

He restored her spiritually by forgiving her, telling her he did not condemn her, while also insisting that she not sin again, and he restored her to society by saving her life.

No one knows what Jesus wrote on the ground, but some people suspect Jesus wrote the sins of the scribes and Pharisees. 

Notice also that it was the elders in the group who went away first. 

The elders had committed more sins, those who had lived longer had more to be sorry about in their own lives.

The woman received forgiveness from Jesus and also received her life back again. 

Notice Jesus’ last words to the woman, “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” (John 8:11) 

Although Jesus has forgiven her sin, he expects her to live a life of grace and union with God from now on by not sinning anymore. 

Jesus doesn’t say that sin does not matter because sin does matter and damages our relationship with God. 

So, Jesus says, “go away and don’t sin anymore.” 

When we receive Jesus’ forgiveness he expects us to live as new people afterward. 

That is precisely the attitude with which we are to come to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

It would make no sense to come to confess our sins if we intended to continue committing the same sins again.

In our human weakness we may commit the same sin again, but as we come to confession if we do not intend to amend our lives then surely, we cannot say that we are truly sorry for our sins.

Surely, we can only genuinely say that we are truly sorry for our sins if we have a firm intention not to commit sin again. 

If we could see into our souls and see the damage our sin causes to our souls, and to the whole Church, we would flee from committing sin.

To better illuminate this idea, I would like read an excerpt of a letter written by Jacques Fesch to his mother before his execution which took place by guillotine in France on the 1^st of October, 1957. 

The 27-year-old was beheaded for murder shortly after he bungled an armed robbery three years earlier (February 25^th 1954). 

He underwent a conversion experience while on death row and the publication of his letters touched many, especially young people. 

Cardinal Lustiger of Paris signed a decree that may one day see Jacques declared “Blessed.”

This is part of Jacques’ letter,

“This execution which frightens you is nothing compared to what awaits sinners in the next world.

It is not for me you should weep but for sinners who offend God.

As for me, I am happy Jesus is calling me to himself and great graces have been given me.

If you could only taste for a single instant the sweetness of the transports of divine love and could realize the absolute gravity of the slightest offense.

God must come first, do not forget it.

He calls you and believes in you, you are rich in his love.

Many souls are linked with yours and you will have an account to render.

You must go to Christ without whom you can do nothing.

If you seek him, you will find him.

But you must seek him with all your heart.

Above all do not seek your own will, but His.”

As I said, if we could see into our souls and see the damage our sin causes to our souls, and to the whole Church as the body of Christ, we would flee from committing sin and Jacques’ letter reminds us of the horror of sin.

Jesus said to the woman not to sin again and since sin is so horrible and horrific we need to take steps to ensure that we do not sin again because otherwise, we will gradually drift again into the same sin.

The first step to take is to deal with where all sin begins, in the mind. 

Among the Native Americans, there is a story of a father who said there were two wolves fighting within him, one bad and one good.

His son asked which wolf wins and the father said whichever one he feeds the most.

Sin begins in the mind.

We need to feed our minds with what is good instead of what is bad. 

Technology in many forms, in TV, internet sites, social media, and so many other ways, often feed our minds with bad stuff that leads us toward sin. 

Sin begins in the mind, from there it moves on to become an action, from there it moves on to become a lifestyle, habits are formed, and then it affects us in eternity.

Jesus said not to sin again.

We need to begin by feeding our minds with what is good instead of with what is trash, rubbish, evil, and sinful.

I challenge you, as I challenge myself…

·      This Lent and before Easter, make a commitment to go to confession if you have not already done so, and then to regularly go to confession

·      To stop exposing our minds to things that draw us to sin.  

·      To expose and fill our minds with what is good, holy, and honest. And to pray, especially right now, that God helps us to understand how sin darkens our soul, separates us from Him, harms His entire Church, and that through His grace, and only through His grace, that we can be healed, strengthened, and will be able to avoid temptation and to sin no more.