Weekend Mass

Dear Beloved Family of St. Anselm,

This Sunday of Lent, traditionally known as “Laetare Sunday,” is permeated with a joy which, to some extent, attenuates the penitential atmosphere of this holy season. Today’s readings give us a school of inner sight. “Man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart.” When Samuel came to anoint a king, Jesse’s older sons looked strong, capable, impressive. Yet God chose David—the youngest, overlooked, seemingly unfit. God was not deceived by appearances. He saw the heart.

In the Gospel, a man born blind receives not only physical sight but the light of faith. Those who claimed to see—the Pharisees—remained blind, trapped by certainty, fear, and habit. The healed man moves from darkness to confession: “Lord, I believe.” This is the journey of Lent: from seeing with the eyes of the world to seeing with the mind of Christ. St. Paul tells us: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Through Baptism, we were brought into truth. Yet we can still prefer familiar shadows. We say, This is how we have always done it, and we resist the new work God is doing among us. We label others rigid, but we ourselves refuse conversion. That is another kind of blindness.

Our culture trains us to trust what is loud, persuasive, and fashionable—media narratives, clever advertising, ideological campaigns. But the Gospel asks something different: to test every spirit, to measure every claim against the heart of Christ and the teaching of His Church. Inner sight is not opinion; it is embracing the truth.

What does this mean for our parish this Lent?

First, let us recover reverence in worship, not as an ascetical practice or penance, but to enable us to get in touch with God and what is deepest within us. If God looks into the heart, then let our liturgy reveal that God is truly present. Come early. Prepare interiorly.

Second, seek the light in Eucharistic Adoration. The man born blind encountered Jesus personally. So must we. Spend an hour each week before the Blessed Sacrament. In that quiet gaze, Christ heals the more profound blindness of fear, pride, and habit.

Third, serve the renewal of faith. Join the choir and help lead the parish in prayer. Offer to teach the true faith of the Catechism to our children and adults. The Church needs witnesses who see with the heart and speak with clarity.

Fourth, practice humble openness. Ask not, “What am I used to?” but “What is God asking now?” David did not look the part, yet he was God’s choice. The healed man did not know theology, yet he knew the One who touched him. God often works through what we overlook. Dear friends, sight is a wonderful gift, but what we see with the mind and heart is greater still. May this Lenten journey free us from the blindness of pride and fear. May we see as God sees—beyond appearances, beyond slogans, beyond habit—into the truth that sets us free.

Amen.