Pastor's Corner: Punish me with a kiss!

Scripture readings for Sunday, March 19: 1 Samuel 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ephesians 5: 8-14; John 9:1-41

I know that the title above might sound a little weird for an article on the Religion Page of the paper, but it is not just a random title. Hopefully it is a provocative one for you. If you take time to read the text below you will see the relevance this title receives from the Scripture Readings listed above.

The title above is a quote by Saint Therese of Lisieux. The context of the quote comes from the reality that when we enter fully into the true Love of God will we be able to realize the extent of our sinfulness. It is when we recognize this sinfulness that we will experience the pain of our sin and will seek to change it. Without choosing to enter fully into the love and grace of God we will remain in our sin and perhaps not even be aware of our sinfulness.

In the Gospel story we are told of a man who has been blind from birth. When Jesus' disciples hear of this, they ask Jesus "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus responds, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible." At that point Jesus says, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the World." Jesus then spits on the ground makes some mud and smears the mud on the blind man's eyes. Jesus then tells the blind man to wash the mud off in the pool of Siloam. Upon doing this the man was able to see. Then comes the rest of the story.

I have read that there are operations that can take place which can restore sight to someone who is born blind. In these accounts there is also documentation of what happens when the person who had the surgery first opens his or her eyes and is able to see for the first time. Each experience is one of pain, disorientation and an inability to even pick out specific images and describe them. The reason for this is that he has not learned how to see with eyes. All of their experience has prepared them to "see" only by touch, leaving them totally unprepared to see with their eyes. So, a long and difficult process of learning to see has to take place before the individual can begin to enjoy the gift of sight.

The man who had his sight restored in the Gospel reading did not have this problem - God can do whatever he chooses. But the man (never named in the reading) did indeed run into other problems as a result of his restored sight. The man's problems came not as a result of his restored sight but from others whose sight was distorted by sin. In this story the Pharisees believe Jesus broke the Sabbath by making mud and healing the man. This provided the Pharisees with more reason to discredit Jesus. Jesus points out later in the story that because of their unwillingness to recognize their own sinfulness their sin remains.

The Pharisees are fixated on the Law of God - as is Jesus - but they approach it from a totally different perspective. The Pharisees focus on the law as a way to keep from sinning. This in and of itself is not bad, but it falls far short of God's will for us and the law. Jesus' approach to the law is that the law is in place to help us love God and our neighbor and when we love well, we are aware of our own sinfulness and try to sin no more.

This is where Saint Therese of Lisieux's statement "Punish me with a kiss," becomes relevant. Saint Therese recognized that the more she experienced God's love the more she could enter into God's forgiving love and grace and as she entered into this love and grace she had to face her sinfulness, confess it and change her way of being. Saint Therese recognized that admitting her sinfulness felt like punishment and it caused embarrassment. She also knew entering into God's love and forgiveness provided peace and hope - this was worth any discomfort God's love would cause her.

Saint Therese had come to see in a new way. She had learned what we need to learn; that we need to accept God's unconditional love and enter into it. Then we need to learn to see in a new way and recognize that the sin in our lives is an opportunity to enter more fully into the grace and mercy that God offers us.

May this Lenten season be a bit uncomfortable for you. Mas this Lenten season open you more fully to the grace, mercy and love of God.

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Deacon Tim Maroney

St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church