‘I want to see, really see’ (John 9:1-41)

The man in the Gospel story for the Fourth Sunday of Lent has had his sight restored. Notice how his sight grows more clearly throughout the account until he finally worships Jesus. We can be blind in many ways through our refusal to believe that we can contribute to positive change in the world. Too often we dismiss these realities by thinking we can do nothing about situations such as the global water crisis. This is blindness. We sometimes hide from the evidence before us and take refuge in prayer. Prayer is important but we must also be open to action. What we do, what we buy, how we use the plentiful resources at our disposal; these all affect the wider global community.

Words attributed to Oscar Romero read: ‘We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.’ How can we as parish communities work for justice for our brothers and sisters who are in need? We need to see them, to see their struggle, to see the systems which contribute to this crisis. This week can you gather a small group in your parish and tell the stories used in this year’s Trócaire resource? This is one small way in which we can open our eyes and open the eyes of others. It is not simply about giving money. Today we pray that we can have our sight restored so that, like the man in the Gospel, we can truly worship Jesus.

‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’ - Margaret Mead.

You can read Enestina's story and learn more about this year's Trocaire campaign through this link: http://www.trocaire.com/lent