Collect Series Fourth Sunday Lent Year A

 

Collect Series

The Mass: Collect Series Icon

COLLECT SERIES

 

COLLECT

 

The Collect for the 4^th Sunday of Lent reads as follows:

 

O God, who through Your Word reconcile the human race to Yourself

in a wonderful way,

Grant, we pray, that with prompt devotion and eager faith

the Christian people may hasten towards the solemn celebrations to come.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:

 

1.    1. Who is Jesus as Word mean to me?
2.    How will I keep my faith alive and well during this time of  Lent?
3.    What steps will I put in place this week to ensure my faith remains alive and active? (e.g., watch Mass as a live stream, make visits to the church to pray, read the scripture, go to confession, seek out adoration where exposition of the blessed sacrament is being offered
4.    How will I hasten towards the solemn celebrations to come?
5.    How will I celebrate Laudete Sunday?

GOSPEL REFLECTION

John 9:1–41

Theme: “From Blindness to Sight”.

 

Setting the Scene

As Jesus passes by, He sees a man blind from birth. The disciples ask a familiar question: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” They seek an explanation rooted in blame. Jesus shifts the focus entirely. This situation, He says, is not about punishment, but about revelation — that the works of God might be made visible.

Jesus makes mud with His saliva, places it on the man’s eyes, and sends him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man returns able to see.

What follows is not simply celebration, but interrogation. Neighbours question him. Pharisees question him. His parents are questioned. The miracle becomes a controversy. As the man’s physical sight strengthens, so too does his spiritual clarity. Meanwhile, those who believe they see most clearly struggle to recognise what stands before them.

 

Gospel Reflection: The Gradual Awakening of Faith

This Gospel unfolds as a journey — not only from blindness to sight, but from uncertainty to conviction.

The man does not begin with full understanding. At first, he calls Jesus “the man called Jesus.” Later, he names Him a prophet. Eventually, he professes faith: “Lord, I believe.”

Sight comes in stages.

Those who question him, however, cling to certainty. They examine the law, debate the details, and protect their authority. Their refusal to see becomes its own kind of blindness.

Lent invites us into this journey. We may begin with partial understanding, incomplete trust, and hesitant faith. Yet Christ continues to work patiently, inviting us into clearer vision.

True sight is not only about recognising miracles; it is about recognising who Jesus is.

 

Personal Reflection

This Gospel gently invites us to consider where we might still be blind — not in a harsh or condemning way, but in honesty. Are there areas of life where we prefer explanation over encounter? Where we are quick to assign blame rather than seek grace? Perhaps there are moments when we see only what confirms our assumptions, while missing what God is revealing.

The blind man’s journey suggests that faith grows through experience and courage. He does not have all the answers, yet he speaks truthfully about what he has seen. His willingness to stand by his encounter with Christ costs him something — he is cast out — yet it also brings him into deeper relationship.

Lent asks whether we are willing to move beyond comfortable certainty. Are we open to recognising Christ in ways that stretch us? Can we admit where our vision is limited and ask to see more clearly? The prayer of this Gospel may not be complex; it may simply be, “Lord, help me to see.”

 

Reflection Questions

·         Where do I notice areas of blindness in my own life?

·         How do I respond when faith challenges my assumptions?

·         What experiences have gradually deepened my understanding of Christ?

·         Am I willing to grow in faith even when it unsettles others?

·         What might it mean for me to say, with sincerity, “Lord, I believe”?

 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You are the light of the world.
Shine upon the places of my life
that remain shadowed or unclear.

Give me courage to grow in faith,
humility to recognise my blindness,
and joy in the sight
that comes from knowing You.
Amen.