BLIND MAN'S BLUFF - One Bread, One Body, 3/2/2008

For Lent read our brochure entitled, "The Secret of Fasting"

http://www.presentationministries.com/brochures/SecretFasting.asp
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, March 2, 2008, Fourth Sunday of Lent

1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, Psalm 23, John 9:1-41
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/030208.shtml

BLIND MAN'S BLUFF

"Some of the Pharisees around Him picked this up, saying, 'You are not
calling us blind, are You?' " —John 9:40

Jesus told the Pharisees they were blind. He called them blind guides and
blind fools (Mt 23:16, 17, 24, 26). He called the apostles blind when He
exclaimed: "Are your minds completely blinded? Have you eyes but no
sight?" (Mk 8:17-18) Jesus called the whole church of Laodicea blind (Rv
3:17).

Jesus may be calling us spiritually blind right now. How will we take
Jesus' diagnosis of our condition? Will we become defensive, or will we
thank Jesus for telling us the truth? The Pharisees got angry at Jesus for
calling them blind. They blinded themselves (see Is 29:9) to being blind.
They resented the man cured of blindness and threw him out of the
synagogue (Jn 9:34). They even tried to impose blindness on everyone else.
The Pharisees became so blind that they became darkness (see Eph 5:8). As
darkness, they hated the light (Jn 3:20). They hated Jesus, "the Light of
the world" (Jn 9:5), and crucified Him.

Spiritual blindness is degenerative. It turns into darkness and violence.
We must admit our spiritual blindness (2 Cor 4:4) and ask Jesus to heal
us. Otherwise, we will hurt and even crucify our Healer (see Heb 6:6) and
those whom He has healed of spiritual blindness. Let Jesus heal you from
being blind to your spiritual blindness.

Prayer: Father, today on this Lenten Sunday, scrutinize my heart and free
me from blindness before it becomes worse.

Promise: "Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance
but the Lord looks into the heart." —1 Sm 16:7

Praise: Praise Jesus, Whose heart was pierced so our hearts could be
healed! Praise Jesus, the risen Son, Who has banished darkness forever.

(For a related teaching, order our tape "Spiritual Blindness" on audio AV
65-1 or video V-65.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
February 1, 2008 through March 31, 2008
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati,
August 14, 2007

The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB
eBook edition, and an online donation form at
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 2008 Presentation Ministries

To add your e-mail address to this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp

To remove your e-mail address from this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp?mode=r