Mass Reading: Sunday - 15th March 2026

First reading
1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13
David is anointed by Samuel

    The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen myself a king among his sons.’ When Samuel arrived, he caught sight of Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands there before him,’ but the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Take no notice of his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him: God does not see as man sees: man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart.’ Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ He then asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ He answered, ‘There is still one left, the youngest; he is out looking after the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he comes.’ Jesse had him sent for, a boy of fresh complexion, with fine eyes and pleasant bearing. The Lord said, ‘Come, anoint him, for this is the one.’ At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him where he stood with his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord seized on David and stayed with him from that day on.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 22(23)

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;
    there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
    where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
    to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;
    he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
    no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
    with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me
    in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
    my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
    all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
    for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

________

Second reading
Ephesians 5:8-14
Anything exposed by the light will turn into light

    You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light, for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you, having nothing to do with the futile works of darkness but exposing them by contrast. The things which are done in secret are things that people are ashamed even to speak of; but anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light. That is why it is said:

Wake up from your sleep,

rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn8:12

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

________

Gospel
John 9:1-41
The blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored

    As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to have been born blind?’ ‘Neither he nor his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered ‘he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

‘As long as the day lasts

I must carry out the work of the one who sent me;

the night will soon be here when no one can work.

As long as I am in the world

I am the light of the world.’

    Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.

    His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’ So they said to him, ‘Then how do your eyes come to be open?’ ‘The man called Jesus’ he answered ‘made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, “Go and wash at Siloam”; so I went, and when I washed I could see.’ They asked, ‘Where is he?’ ‘I don’t know’ he answered.

    They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man. However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, without first sending for his parents and asking them, ‘Is this man really your son who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we do not know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.’ His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. This was why his parents said, ‘He is old enough; ask him.’

    So the Jews again sent for the man and said to him, ‘Give glory to God! For our part, we know that this man is a sinner.’ The man answered, ‘I don’t know if he is a sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see.’ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ 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 too?’ At this they hurled abuse at him: ‘You can be his disciple,’ they said ‘we are disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ The man replied, ‘Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes, and you don’t know where he comes from! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but God does listen to men who are devout and do his will. Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind; if this man were not from God, he couldn’t do a thing.’ ‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away.

    Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him.

    Jesus said:

‘It is for judgement

that I have come into this world,

so that those without sight may see

and those with sight turn blind.’

Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, ‘We are not blind, surely?’ Jesus replied:

‘Blind? If you were,

you would not be guilty,

but since you say, “We see,”

your guilt remains.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 15th March 2026

 

1 SM 16:1B, 6-7, 10-13A; PS 23:1-6; EPH 5:8-14; JN 9:1-41 or JN 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38


Today’s readings for this Fourth Sunday of Lent present a series of striking contrasts — God’s vision versus human vision, the light of Christ versus the darkness of sin, and spiritual blindness versus spiritual sight. Together, they invite us to examine how we see our lives and remind us that a stewardship way of life helps us see as God sees and reflect Christ’s light to others.

In the First Book of Samuel, the prophet is sent to anoint a new king from among the sons of Jesse. One by one, the older, stronger brothers are presented, yet none is chosen. Instead, God selects David, the youngest and least likely by human standards. The Lord explains why: “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.”

This passage challenges us to reconsider how we measure success and worth. The world often values status, influence, and outward achievement. God, however, looks at the heart. He sees how we love, how we serve, and how we use the gifts entrusted to us. A stewardship way of life shifts our focus away from appearances and toward faithful use of the time, talents, and resources God has given us for the good of others.

St. Paul echoes this identity in the Letter to the Ephesians: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Because of Baptism, the light of Christ dwells within us. Yet in the routine struggles of daily life, we can forget who we truly are. We may settle into habits that dull that light or drift into patterns that place comfort or convenience ahead of discipleship.

The stewardship way of life offers a practical path forward. By intentionally examining how we use our time, talents, and treasure, we gain clarity about whether our lives truly reflect Christ’s light. Stewardship invites us to choose prayer over distraction, service over self-interest, generosity over hoarding, and trust over fear. In doing so, Christ’s light becomes visible not only in church, but in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

In the Gospel, Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world,” and then restores sight to a man born blind. The miracle causes controversy, yet the healed man simply speaks the truth: Jesus “opened my eyes.” His physical healing becomes a sign of the deeper spiritual sight Christ offers to all who believe.

Lent is an ideal time for us to ask the same grace. Where might we still be spiritually blind? Where do we fail to see God at work? Where do we overlook opportunities to serve or share our gifts?

Are we reflecting Christ’s light in the way we use our time — giving priority to prayer, Mass, Confession, and attentive care for our families and neighbors?

Are we reflecting His light in the sharing of our talents — volunteering in parish life, helping those in need, and offering encouragement and compassion to those around us?

Are we reflecting His light in the sharing of our material blessings — giving generously and intentionally in gratitude to the God who has entrusted everything to us?

The journey of stewardship is really a journey of vision — learning to see our lives as gifts and to recognize that everything we have is meant to be shared for God’s glory.

As we continue through Lent, let us ask Christ to open our eyes wherever our vision has grown dim. By renewing our commitment to live as grateful and generous stewards, we prepare to celebrate Easter as people who truly walk as children of the light.