6th Sunday of Pascha; Blind Man; Holy Apostle John the Theologian

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ is risen.

A few years ago, a story was written about a man who became the sole protector of the very last copy of Scripture. In a world that had been ravaged by total war and descended into lawlessness, his task was to ensure the survival of the Word of God. Traveling across a barren and hostile land, he risked his life to make sure that the very last witness of the truth was kept safe. Entertaining as the story might be, its premise—the whole idea—is in fact contrary to our apostolic faith.

In today's Gospel, the Church gives us the story of the man born blind who came to see the truth. The Lord takes clay from the earth, mixes it with his saliva, and anoints his eyes. Though the Lord could very well have restored his sight immediately, he commands him first to wash his eyes, and only then does he come to see. He stands before the Pharisees and confesses Christ, first as a prophet and then as a holy man. Though he felt the Lord's healing physical touch, he had first to obey his commandment in order to be made whole, and only after he had borne witness and received sight does Christ return and reveal himself as God.

It is interesting to consider that unlike the man of today's Gospel, who had never read a single word or a single letter in his entire life, the scribes and the Pharisees, despite their remarkable education and that many of them had committed vast portions of Scripture to memory, were not able to see the Lord for who he is, and so remained spiritually blind.

It has been said many times before that even if every single copy of Scripture—if all of the Bibles in the world and all of the sacred texts of the fathers were to be meticulously collected and destroyed—the Holy Church would still have the Word of God. There would and will always be holy men and women who, through partaking of the mysteries and living a righteous life, would know Christ in the Holy Spirit.

Throughout our Paschal season, the Church reads from the Gospel of John, which together with the Acts of the Apostles shows us what it means to be made anew, to discover newness of life and faith. It shows us who the Truth is. As we approach Pentecost, where we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, we can think of this as the birthday of the New Testament Church.

Let us consider that it is the Holy Spirit Himself who is our teacher. In Him we experience Christ, and through Him, as we live more fully in His commandments, He becomes revealed within those of us who partake of Him. Our faith grows as our spiritual sight becomes ever more restored. Christ is the author and the perfecter of faith. We partake of Him in the Holy Church. We struggle to make His life ours and thus come to ever more fully bear witness to the truth.

Through the prayers of all the fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us. Amen.