CHOOSING LIGHT OVER DARKNESS

CHOOSING LIGHT OVER DARKNESS

Fr Luke A Veronis

Imagine being blind. Living in utter physical darkness. Not seeing the beauty of nature, of colors, of another human face. On this 6th Sunday of Pascha, we hear one of the most remarkable miracles when Jesus gives sight to a man born blind. He, who is the Light of the world, brings light to one in darkness. Yet, this story is not simply one of physical healing. It is a story of spiritual awakening, of light shining in the midst of darkness, of sight restored not only to the eyes but to the soul. And sadly, it’s also a story of those who choose to remain in darkness, in the darkness of their ego and arrogance, in the darkness of the world’s deception and confusion.

Jesus encounters a man blind from birth, and His disciples express a belief typical of their age - “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Christ corrects this mistaken worldview by declaring, “It was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him.” What a powerful statement and reminder for us. Suffering is not a punishment from God or a sign that God has abandoned us. No, sometimes suffering is the very place where our hearts can be softened and molded so that we can reflect on what life is truly about. Sometimes suffering comes to us so that we can encounter God’s glory, so that His light can shine most brightly in us!

We live in a world filled with darkness and blindness — not necessarily physical but more often spiritual blindness. And even though we may not be able to control the darkness that surrounds us in the world, our Risen Lord Jesus offers us Light and shows us a path to find healing from our blindness. Unfortunately, there are so many who see with their eyes but who remain blind in their hearts — blind to God’s Divine and unconditional Love for all people, blind to His compassion and mercy, blind to the eternal hope He offers. And too often, we ourselves choose to ignore His Light and accept the darkness of the world as the only possible reality. We choose to remain blind.

Whenever we close our eyes to the needs of others, we choose darkness. Whenever we hate those who are different from ourselves, we choose darkness. Whenever we arrogantly judge and condemn others, we choose darkness. Whenever we don’t see God’s image in the least of our brothers and sisters, we choose darkness. Whenever we won’t forgive another, we choose darkness. Whenever we allow our egocentric desires to control us, allowing our greed, our lust, our anger to rule over us, we choose darkness. Whenever we don’t accept Christ’s transformative and life-changing love as the primary guiding force in our lives, we choose darkness.

The message in today’s Gospel, however, is that we have a choice! Will we choose to live in darkness, to remain blind, or will we choose Light? Will we choose to accept Christ’s healing of our blindness, or will we stubbornly remain in the dark?

Just like the blind man, Christ says to each of us, “Go wash.” Not in the pool of Siloam, but in the waters of our baptism, in the cleansing and healing that comes through our repentance in the Sacrament of Holy Confession, and in the refreshing grace of the Eucharist, Holy Communion.

We have a choice. How will we choose?

On this Sunday, our nation also pauses to remember those who gave their lives for the sake of others. Memorial Day is when we remember the ultimate sacrifice soldiers made in their military service. They laid down their lives for a particular ideal, to protect the freedoms we enjoy.

What does Memorial Day have in common with today’s story of the Blind Man?

Well, it offers an example of a deeper kind of sight we are called to embrace. Christ gave the blind man vision — a vision ultimately led him to recognize and worship the Son of God. Those we remember on Memorial Day offer us a vision of self-sacrifice, of placing others and even an ideal above themselves. Veterans know that their lives are not their own, but they are ready to lay down their lives for their comrades, for their country, and for a vision greater than themselves.

If we think of Memorial Day in this way, it’s not simply about grief or death; it’s about a memory of someone who sacrificed. Think of Jesus’ words, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) And of course, Memorial Day is also a day we remember our own loved one. And we thank God and celebrate that we know death does not have the final say for “Christ is Risen” and death is defeated.

Thus, we remember the dead with hope and in love. This is living in the Light of Christ. We Orthodox understand deeply the power of remembrance. We sing “Memory Eternal” in the cemeteries tomorrow. May the memories of our loved one stay alive and remain for all eternity in the Divine Love of God. And may our commemoration of the departed act as a prayer that shines light in the midst of darkness, that proclaims the Risen Christ’s victory over the mystery of death.

Let me conclude by returning back to the blind man and reflecting on the story of another "blind" person who saw far more than most of us ever will — St. Matrona of Moscow. She was born blind in the 1880s. In her teenage years, Matrona became paralyzed from the waist down and would remain bedridden for the rest of her life — unable to walk, but never bitter or hopeless. She suffered in ways we can’t imagine. And yet, from her youth, she possessed profound spiritual vision. She saw into people’s hearts, read their sins, and guided thousands with words of healing and hope.

Despite her severe physical limitations, she lived with deep joy, peace, and prayerfulness. She would lie on her bed, praying ceaselessly, receiving visitors from all over Russia, and offering spiritual advice that penetrated their souls. Even during the Soviet era, when the authorities severely persecuted the religious life, Matrona continued to secretly live out her faith and became known as a holy woman across the city. People would come to her in secret to receive comfort, healing, and spiritual insight.

In the midst of her own physical darkness, she became a source of light for Russia during a very dark period. She died in 1952 and thousands have flocked to her grave since, seeking miracles and finding healing. She was canonized in 1992.

Like the man in today’s Gospel, her life showed that even in blindness, even in unimaginable suffering, the works and glory of God can shine forth.

Today’s story challenges us to choose to see clearly - to see Jesus as the Light of the world, to receive His vision and see every neighbor as someone made in God’s image, and to understand our calling to bring God’s healing and light into a broken and darkened world.

And with Memorial Day, let us remember that living in the light of Christ implies living a life of sacrificing for others. And even the darkness of death itself cannot extinguish the eternal Light of our Risen Lord.

“O Christ our God, who opened the eyes of the man born blind, open the eyes of our hearts to know You, to follow You, to glorify You, and to always choose to live in Your Divine Light.”

Christ is Risen!