22/03/2020
Fourth Sunday of Lent
First Reading
1 Sm 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6.
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Second Reading
Eph 5: 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. "Verse Before the
Verse before the Gospel
Jn 8: 12
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
Gospel
John 9:1-41
1 As he went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.
2 His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should have been born blind?'
3 'Neither he nor his parents sinned,' Jesus answered, 'he was born blind so that the works of God might be revealed in him.
4 'As long as day lasts we must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work.
5 As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.'
6 Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man,
7 and said to him, 'Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam' (the name means 'one who has been sent'). So he went off and washed and came back able to see.
8 His neighbours and the people who used to see him before (for he was a beggar) said, 'Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?'
9 Some said, 'Yes, it is the same one.' Others said, 'No, but he looks just like him.' The man himself said, 'Yes, I am the one.'
10 So they said to him, 'Then how is it that your eyes were opened?'
11 He answered, 'The man called Jesus made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, "Go off and wash at Siloam"; so I went, and when I washed I gained my sight.'
12 They asked, 'Where is he?' He answered, 'I don't know.'
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
14 It had been a Sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man's eyes,
15 so when the Pharisees asked him how he had gained his sight, he said, 'He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.'
16 Then some of the Pharisees said, 'That man cannot be from God: he does not keep the Sabbath.' Others said, 'How can a sinner produce signs like this?' And there was division among them.
17 So they spoke to the blind man again, 'What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?' The man answered, 'He is a prophet.'
18 However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind without first sending for the parents of the man who had gained his sight and
19 asking them, 'Is this man really the son of yours who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?'
20 His parents answered, 'We know he is our son and we know he was born blind,
21 but how he can see, we don't know, nor who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.'
22 His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to ban from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ.
23 This was why his parents said, 'He is old enough; ask him.'
24 So the Jews sent for the man again and said to him, 'Give glory to God! We are satisfied that this man is a sinner.'
25 The man answered, 'Whether he is a sinner I don't know; all I know is that I was blind and now I can see.'
26 They said to him, 'What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?'
27 He replied, 'I have told you once and you wouldn't listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to become his disciples yourselves?'
28 At this they hurled abuse at him, 'It is you who are his disciple, we are disciples of Moses:
29 we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don't know where he comes from.'
30 The man replied, 'That is just what is so amazing! You don't know where he comes from and he has opened my eyes!
31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but God does listen to people who are devout and do his will.
32 Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of someone born blind;
33 if this man were not from God, he wouldn't have been able to do anything.'
34 They retorted, 'Are you trying to teach us, and you a sinner through and through ever since you were born!' And they ejected him.
35 Jesus heard they had ejected him, and when he found him he said to him, 'Do you believe in the Son of man?'
36 'Sir,' the man replied, 'tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.'
37 Jesus said, 'You have seen him; he is speaking to you.'
38 The man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and worshipped him.
39 Jesus said: It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight may become blind.
40 Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, 'So we are blind, are we?'
41 Jesus replied: If you were blind, you would not be guilty, but since you say, 'We can see,' your guilt remains
