Today let's focus not on the blind man but on the Pharisees.
So what if you were a Pharisee? What if you were a devout religious leader that everyone looked up to? What if you followed the law of Moses without exception? What if you followed all the rules and all the theology and all the guidelines you'd always been taught?
And here's this man saying God's prophet gave him sight? And on the Sabbath?
Wouldn't you be upset too?
But the Pharisees had it wrong here. Sure it was good for them to follow the laws that God had handed down through Moses. Those Ten Commandments are important for expressing God's love around and through us. But they let those rules and theologies blind them to the miracle of God's life in their hearts.
God doesn't always take the expected path. In fact, he rarely does. And there the Pharisees were, worrying about the rules so much that they missed the unexpected grace of Jesus in their midst.
Are you too lost in the rules of Lent? Are you lost in getting everything right because people are watching? Because the Scripture says? Because your Priest says? Because your parents say? Because you think that's what God wants?
Your choice to sacrifice or do extra during Lent is not in the wrong. But be careful not to get lost in the rules and miss the miracle of Jesus in your life. He's going to come unexpectedly so you can't really be ready. But you can be open to his grace and mercy and love. So spend some time this Lent opening your eyes to the miracles that Jesus is performing in your life. When the healed man in your life comes up to you, in the form of a happy friend, a finished paper, a cancelled class, a good night's rest, or a healing from sickness, learn to recognize it as Jesus' gift, even if it comes unconventionally.
What matters most, during Lent and always, is your relationship with Jesus. So it's important to use the Church to help bring the two of you closer. But don't let the rules keep you apart. It's a careful balance and sometimes the only way to figure it out is to make lots of mistakes in your faith. Go for it. Dive in. Don't be afraid, because even when the Pharisees fell, Jesus loved and ached for them to follow him. He'll never stop wanting and loving you.
Have a miraculous day
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