If you are like me, it’s easy to fixate on our shadows: failures, guilt, shame. Especially when we suffer, it is easy to want to blame ourselves or others. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus’ disciples ask about the blind man, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?” (John 9:2) They, like us, focus on blame. But Jesus sees the entire situation differently: “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” He does not deny sin, but he sees deeper — through the light of mercy, not the lens of judgment. The scene hinges on Jesus’ strange claim: “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). He sees things differently than everyone. They see shadows and light. He is the light.
Thought experiment: imagine you are the sun looking at everything on the earth. What do you see? Everything. What do you not see? Shadows. Everything is illuminated. If you see it, it is illuminated. For the light, nothing is dark.
Because he is the light, Jesus sees us in the glow of his redemptive love. Even our sin becomes a place where his glory can shine. The man’s healing is not just about sight — it is about seeing as Christ sees. Lent is not a season of staring into darkness. It is a time to step into the light — to let Christ’s gaze reframe how we see ourselves and one another.
Lenten challenge: Spend 10 quiet minutes this week asking Jesus to show you how he sees you. Not through shame or fear, but through the light of his mercy. — Father John Muir ©LPi
General Mass Notes
Welcome
Good afternoon and welcome to St. Joseph,
As we begin our liturgy, we would like to extend a special welcome to everyone visiting our parish for the first time. We also warmly welcome all of you who are here today. We are so grateful and blessed to have you with us. As we settle in and prepare our hearts for Mass, please take a moment to make sure your cell phones are turned off so as not to disturb our prayer.
(Wait a few seconds to allow people to turn off their phones)
Let us now take a moment to prepare for Mass and open our hearts and minds to the message we will hear today. The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and for…
Please stand and greet those beside you.
Mass Intentions
Universal Prayer (Petitions)
A. For the Church, that we may shine the light of Christ wherever we go, spreading goodness, virtue, and truth into all the darkened recesses of the world, let us pray to the Lord.
B. That those who must walk through the dark valleys of war, violence, and oppression may soon see the light of peace, safety, and justice, let us pray to the Lord.
C. For those whose disabilities are a burden, that their burden may be lightened by those who care for them and all those they encounter, let us pray to the Lord.
D. For those preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation at Easter, that their eyes may be opened to God’s presence in their lives, let us pray to the Lord.
E. For all of us gathered here today, that we may live as children of light, making visible to the world the grace of God in our daily lives, let us pray to the Lord.
F. For all the prayers that we hold in the silence of our hearts; for all our intentions spoken and unspoken, and for (read all intentions from 1st page), let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
Today we'll have a second collection to support the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. Communism in this region fell more than 30 years ago, but the Church still struggles to rebuild after decades of oppressive rule. Your support of this collection funds grants for vital pastoral ministries throughout the region.
Due to our first reconciliations of our religious education students, there will be no confessions on Mondays in March.
The Parish is selling Lenten reflection books that offer simple yet enriching reflections for each day of Lent. These can be purchased in the Parish Center for $2 each.
