Thought for the Day

15 March 2026

All I know is, I once was blind but now I see!

We are not blind, surely?

What a convoluted Gospel we have today. The healing of the blind man unleashes a chain of chaos and confusion. His neighbours are dumbfounded; the Pharisees are suspicious and at war with one another, and the Jews are cynical, even calling in the man’s parents as witnesses.

The character of Jesus, and of the blind man, is called into question as everyone tries to figure out what has happened. Jesus and the man who has been healed are both accused of being sinners. The interrogators even ridicule the man, asking, ‘Are you trying to teach us, and you a sinner through and through?’

Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well All I Know Is, I Once Was Blind But Now I See!

But things are simple for the man who has experienced Jesus’ healing. He knows what he has witnessed, and is ready and willing to attest to it. ‘If this man were not from God,’ he says, ‘he couldn’t do a thing.’ He understands that his encounter with Jesus was extraordinary.

Jesus finally clears up the confusion, turning everything on its head, as is often his way. It is the man who had been blind who sees who Jesus is: ‘Lord, I believe.’ The Pharisees who think they see things clearly are the ones who are really blind to the truth. ‘We are not blind, surely?’ is the question facing all of us as we advance through Lent. Are we open to the Good News and the healing power of Jesus?

08 March 2026

Going out of their way

"Anyone who drinks the water that I shall give, will never be thirsty again”: Jesus offers living water, the gift of the Holy Spirit.

How does it feel like to meet someone who knows everything you’ve ever done? Vulnerable for one thing, uneasy and slightly awkward for another. Who could stand up to such scrutiny? But the treasure of having, as a friend, someone who truly knows you and is still your friend!

It was such a friend that the crowd-avoiding Samaritan woman met at the hottest part of the day. It was like most of the deepest changes in life – a so-called ‘chance’ encounter. His thirst for her life changed a Samaritan woman with a chequered past into a follower. Most of us came to meet Christ in less dramatic ways than she did. Yet there was a path, however obscure or winding that led us to some well, where we realised that our thirst was deeper than anything earthly could ever satisfy.

Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the Well

‘Hunger is a good sauce’ is a saying that describes how desperate need can make us satisfied with what we have, inadequate though it may be. Jesus wants a full life, not a mere existence for his followers. ‘If you only knew what God is offering…’ (Gospel – John 4:10).

Two people went out of their way in the Gospel. The woman to a remote well, and God, who will always go out of His way to encounter us and offer us a life of renewal.

01 March 2026

Thought for the Day

Lent is indeed how God draws us home as individuals, but it is also a very communal journey. We never journey alone; no matter how lonely we may feel. We are always journeying together. If we can experience our journey in communion with others, it makes it so much clearer that we are on a journey together. When we can share our experiences with a close friend or our worship community, we can enjoy support that allows grace to flourish.

Let us pray for one another on this journey, especially for those who need and desire a change of heart on this pilgrimage to Easter joy. Choosing and acting Lent are so important because we are body-persons. We experience things with our senses, relish them with our imaginations and we share in God’s own creative and loving activity when our hearts and hands work together for and with others.

(Andy Alexander SJ & Maureen McCann Waldron, Praying Lent.)