Commentary on the Mass Readings: Sun, Mar 15 (4th Sunday of Lent/Laetare Sunday)

The Lord said to Samuel,

fill your horn with oil and be on your way.

I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.

As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, surely

the Lord's anointed is here before him.

But the Lord said to Samuel,

do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him,

not as man sees, does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into

the heart.

In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse,

the Lord has not chosen any one of these.

Then Samuel asked Jesse,

are these all the sons you have?

Jesse replied,

there is still the youngest who is tending the sheep.

Samuel said to Jesse,

send for him, we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.

Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.

He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold, and making a splendid appearance.

The Lord said,

there anoint him for this is the one.

Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers,

and from that day on,

the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.

Haydah Commentary

Surely the Lord's anointed is in his presence.

This Samuel spoke by his own spirit, judging from the comeliness of Eliab,

but the beauty of Saul's body had concealed the deformed soul.

God had positively rejected this eldest son, as his pride seems to have been the greatest.

God sees the heart.

This is one of God's perfections.

Glorified saints see man's heart in his light, for their own and our advantage,

as the prophets have sometimes done.

So say Gregory.

David is described as ruddy, like the spouse and song of songs.

Some explain it of his hair,

so Alexander the Great has said to have had reddish or golden locks.

Some say that he was anointed without informing him or his brothers what the young should

meant.

If he told the brothers,

he would no doubt take the necessary precautions to keep its secret,

as the whole family would have been an imminent danger if the transaction had come to the ears

of Saul.

Josephus says that Samuel only informed Jesse in private,

and David's brothers treated him with no peculiar distinction,

when it is inferred that they had not been present when he was anointed.

Some witnesses seem, however, to have been requisite, as the title of David to the regal

dignity depended on the ceremony, and none were more interested than his own family to

assert his pretensions.

He now had a right to the kingdom, but not the possession, being like a son expecting

his father's estate as his future right, of which as yet he cannot dispose.

God endured him with all those graces which might render him fit to command.

He began to advance in virtue with more rapid strides, while Saul became every day more

criminal and abandoned to the devil.

David received the spirit of fortitude and of prophecy, of which Saul had formerly had

some experience when he was first elevated to that high dignity.

David was changed into a new man, and adorned with all that could render a king most glorious.

Though he returned to his wanted occupations, the spirit of the Lord enabled him to destroy

wild beasts as in play.

Seas here act 47-3, and to compose in saying many of those divine canticles, the Psalms,

which we still admire.

The second reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 8-14.

Brothers and sisters, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and

truth.

Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord, take no part in the fruitless works of darkness,

rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible

is light.

Therefore it says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.

Hey dot commentary.

By darkness is here meant the state of infidelity into which they had been plunged so far as

to adore stones as God, and committed without remorse the above mentioned grievous sins.

But delivered by Christ from this darkness, they have become light in the Lord, shining

in faith and justice.

With solicitude seek out what things are pleasing to God and carefully perform them.

You are light, they are darkness.

Do you therefore show by the light of your good works how base and detestable their works

of darkness are?

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.

The sense of these words may be taken from Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1.

St Jerome thinks they may be cited from some work not canonical.

The Gospel from John chapter 9 verses 1 through 41.

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind.

Jesus answered, neither he nor his parents sinned, it is so that the works of God might

be made visible through him.

We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day, night is coming when

no one can work.

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva and smeared the

clay on his eyes and said to him, go wash in the pool of siloam, which means scent.

So he went and washed and came back able to see.

His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, isn't this the one who

used to sit and beg?

Some said it is, but others said, no, he just looks like him.

He said, I am.

So they said to him, how were your eyes opened?

He replied, the man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, go to siloam

and wash.

So I went there and washed and was able to see.

And they said to him, where is he?

He said, I don't know.

They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.

Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a Sabbath.

So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.

He said to them, keep up clay on my eyes and I washed and now I can see.

So some of the Pharisees said, this man is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath.

But others said, how can a sinful man do such signs?

And there was a division among them.

So they said to the blind man again, what do you have to say about him since he opened

your eyes?

He said, he is a prophet.

Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they

summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.

They asked them, is this your son who you say was born blind?

How does he now see?

His parents answered and said, we know that this is our son and that he was born blind.

We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes.

Ask him, he is of age, he can speak for himself.

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews.

For the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would

be expelled from the synagogue.

For this reason his parents said, he is of age, question him.

So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, give God the

praise, we know that this man is a sinner.

He replied, if he is a sinner, I do not know.

One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.

So they said to him, what did he do to you?

How did he open your eyes?

He answered them, I told you already and you did not listen.

Why do you want to hear it again?

Do you want to become his disciples too?

They ridiculed him and said, you are that man's disciple, we are disciples of Moses.

We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.

The man answered and said to them, this is what is so amazing that you do not know where

he is from, yet he opened my eyes.

We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he

listens to him.

It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.

If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.

They answered and said to him, you were born totally in sin and you are trying to teach

us, then they threw him out.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, do you believe in

the Son of Man?

He answered and said, who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?

Jesus said to him, you have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.

He said, I do believe, Lord, and he worshiped him.

Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see might see

and those who do see might become blind.

Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, surely we are not also

blind, are we?

Jesus said to them, if you were blind, you would have no sin.

But now you are saying, we see, so your sin remains.

Hey, that commentary.

When Christ had healed the paralytic, he dismissed him with the injunction, behold, thou art

made whole, now sin no more.

From this, the disciples concluded that his infirmity was sent to him in punishment of

former sins.

When therefore they see the man afflicted with blindness, they inquired of their divine

master, whether it was on account of his or his parents' sin.

So say, St. John Chrysostom.

When Christ says that neither he nor his parents had sinned, we must not understand that he

was born without original sin, nor even that he had not committed other sins, for both

he and his parents had sinned.

But the meaning is that this blindness was not a penal blindness inflicted in punishment

of any sin, either himself or his parents had committed.

But as his afterwards subjoined, it was sent him for the manifestation of the glory of

God.

So say to Guston.

We must work while it is day, that is, during all the time of this mortal life, the

night comes that is death.

He speaks of that night of which mention is made in Matthew 22, cast him into the exterior

darkness.

This is a night in which none can work, but only receive the reward of their labors.

If you wish to work, work now whilst you live.

For beyond the grave there is neither faith nor labor nor repentance.

So say, St. John Chrysostom.

Thus the day of which I am to avail myself is the time of my mortal life, and the night

which is to follow this is that of my death.

With clay and spittle he cured the blind man to make the miracle more visible.

From the example of Jesus Christ, religious ceremonies are introduced in the administration

of the sacraments, and can the church be blamed for copying her divine founder?

The fountain of Silawam was at the foot of the walls of Jerusalem to the east, where its

waters were collected in a reservoir for the benefit of the city.

It is there our Savior sent the blind man.

The word Silawam signifies sent and was a figure of Christ, who was sent by his eternal

father into the world to enlighten all men, of whom this blind man was the emblem.

The pool of Silawam represents the sacrament of baptism, by which we are sanctified and

made Christians.

It is still to this day held in great veneration by the Turks, who think its waters very beneficial

in diseases of the eyes.

Its waters signify those of divine grace and light, communicated to the faithful soul

through Jesus Christ, who was the scent of God.

And falling down he worshiped him.

Before he regarded him as a holy man as a prophet, but he did not adore him until he understood

him to be the son of God.

Whereas no sooner did he know this than falling down, he paid him that sovereign worship

which is due to God alone.

The Pharisees say, it could not be this man who cured thee, for we know he is a sinner

who seduces the people.

So say our separated brethren, when they derigate from miracles done by saints, fair

assayically pretending the glory of God, as if it were not God's glory when his servants

act by his power in virtue.

Witness Peter's shadow in Acts chapter 5, and Paul's handkerchiefs that cure diseases

and expelled wicked spirits in Acts 19.

Though we read of many miracles done by Moses and the prophets, this says the man is the

first example of any man receiving his sight who had been born blind.

Christ tells them what will be the consequences of his coming, and they're refusing to

believe in him, that they shall be justly punished with the greatest severity for their

willful blindness.

Jesus Christ came into the world that the pagans who were yet in darkness might receive

light, and that the Jews who enjoyed the light might fall into darkness.

The Jews were thus condemned on account of their presumption and hardness of heart, and

grace was granted to the Gentiles to enter into the true church.

These are the designs of the Almighty upon mankind, some of whom remain in infidelity, whilst

others receive the light of faith.

But all is done by the secret and impenetrable decrees of the justice and wisdom of God.

The holy ghost by these words tells us only what was to be the event, not what was the

cause of these things.

We must seek for the cause of them in the malice of the heart of man, and in the depth

of the judgments of God.

Christ did not come so that anyone should be made blind, but that the Jews by the abuse

of his coming and by they're not receiving him, brought upon themselves this judgment

of blindness.

Jesus said to them, If you were blind by ignorance, in not having heard of me in my doctrine,

you might be excused for not believing.

But now saying we see, and having been yourselves in the occasions and opportunities of seeing,

your sin remains, and you in your sins.

If you were invincible ignorant and had neither read the scriptures nor seen my miracles,

you would not be guilty of the sin of infidelity.

But now as you boast of your knowledge of the scriptures, you are inexcusable.

If you had humility enough to acknowledge your blindness and ignorance, and seriously

to seek for a remedy, you would soon be delivered from sin and freed from the evil of blindness.

But filled as you are with presumption, you remain still in blindness, which as it is voluntary

is at the same time criminal and inexcusable.

This is your evil.

This is your sin.