In the first reading from Samuel, we find that Saul the king chosen by the people has found great displeasure in the eyes of God; his disobedience to God and inability to provide true leadership calls for his replacement. The prophet Samuel is sent to find a successor.

Sent to the town of Bethlehem he was told that one of the sons of Jesse would be chosen by God. Surprisingly it is David, Jesse's youngest son that God chooses, the one who seemed so unlikely that Jesse did not even think to present him.

The point of reading is that God's ways and choices are often different from our own and not to be questioned because they seem unlikely. While se see only outer appearances, God sees into the heart. In David's heart God saw that He would be a good leader even though like his predecessor he would fall into very serious sins against God.

All of today's readings are about darkness and light, blindness and sight. An old proverb tells us: "There are none so blind as those who will not see." One of the early Church fathers, Theodoret said these people who do not want to open their eyes to the light of truth but are quite content to live in darkness are like bats flying in the night. But how can we be angry with them, human beings who choose the gloomy doom; what prevents them from removing the midst from their eyes is arrogance.

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul is similarly blunt in his metaphors. He doesn't say we were in darkness; but rather, we were darkness. He doesn't say: We are in the sunlight of Christ, but we are the light of Christ. A dramatic change has taken place in us through Baptism. The Church refers to the newly baptized as the illuminated--and the reason is so powerfully visible in the Easter vigil.

In the gospel, Jesus is presented by his disciples with a very striking question about the influence of evil. Was this man's blindness caused by his own personal sin or the sins of his ancestors? There are still those today who think that physical handicaps are a curse inflicted by God as a consequence of sin. but hear what Jesus answers: It was no sin; either of his own or of his ancestors that caused this man to be born blind. It is to let the work of God show through him.

Jesus used His Divine power to cure the blind, deaf, and lame. Recall the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda. Before curing his paralysis Jesus had said to him, “Your sins are forgiven”. But the man encountering the Pharisees was asked why he was carrying his bed role on the Sabbath. He replied: The man who healed me told me to. Though he had received a physical healing, Jesus was unable to heal his arrogant spirit. Without inner healing there can be no lasting relationship with Jesus.

This is why Jesus chastises the Pharisees: If you were blind to your sins you would not be guilty; but you have sight yet refuse to open your eyes and so your guilt remains.

In contrast to the Pharisees who persist in 'blindness, the man who has been given sight for the first time is now so radically changed that his neighbors do not even recognize him. He affirms that he is indeed the one who used to sit and beg and recounts a second time what has happened to him.

Now the atmosphere turns hostile. The Temple leaders become harsh in their accusation; the healed man responds with sarcasm.

When his parents are summoned they refuse to give any testimony for fear of being ostracized. When at last their son is expelled and meets Jesus he is greeted with almost the identical revela­tion we heard last week: the one who is speaking to you is He.

Notice the striking contrast in dialogue today with that of last week's gospel. The woman allowed her eyes to be open, to recognize her condition of sinfulness and her thirst for redemption. In turn she not only recognized Jesus as her Savior but ran into town to tell everyone else. who likewise had their hearts and eyes opened.

Today's pericope ends on a sadder note. Perhaps the expression: there are none so blind as those who' will not see is not the most accurate after all. Apparently there are some who are even more blind than willful blindness could make them.

These are the ones who are convinced even in their blindness that they see clearly. Thought they know the truth they panic in the face of what the truth might mean and it renders them helpless.

Once you were darkness. Now you are light. The consequences, the ramification of that transformation is absolutely divine and is open to anyone who can accept it.