Jesus Saves: Homily for Sunday, March 15, 2026

Jesus saves. Today we explore the anagogical way to read the bible. And what we learn is just how much it is that Jesus longs to save us from our sins and wants an eternal relationship with us. Readings for Today.

Jesus Saves

When we consider the great masters of theology, and of discerning what it meant to be church, the Church Fathers, we learn a lot about a way of reading the bible that may not be common to us today.

Ancient theologians considered there were four ways to read the bible. Charles Cummings in his book Monastic Practices, says this. “The four methods of interpretation point in four different directions: The literal/historical backwards to the past, the allegoric forwards to the future, the tropological downwards to the moral/human, and the anagogic upwards to the spiritual/heavenly.”

Let’s consider today’s gospel in the anagogic sense. This is the way of reading that looks to see in what ways the words of the bible help us to see the deeply spiritual in the world. Just what can the gospel encounter of the man born blind teach us about a spiritual truth in our lives.

Listen to how Saint Augustine understands this passage. “For the blind man here is the human race. Blindness came upon the first man by reason of sin: and from him we all derive it: i.e. man is blind from his birth. Rabbi is Master. They call Him Master, because they wished to learn.”

So the gospel encounter is one where we are given deeper understanding about our situation. While we may not think much about original sin, it is a helpful way to consider what it means to be born into this world. The story in the Book of Genesis tells us of God’s original intent for us. Paradise. Right Relationship. Complete harmony.

Yet despite God’s tremendous gift, we sinned. We ruined paradise. We broke relationships. We created disunity. Sin entered the world. But not just for those who committed the first sin, but we are all born into ruined, broken disharmony. We were blind from birth.

For it can be the case that all the evil we see in the world can lead us to darkness. The painful realization that human blindness causes us to get lost. We lose our way. We are tempted to respond to evil with more evil. We need to be saved.

And this is just what Jesus does for us. Jesus saves. Jesus is the light in our darkness. Jesus opens our eyes. He enlightens our minds and our souls. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are free. We can be ourselves.

But even after our baptism, which forgave all of our sins, sadly we can still sin. When we encounter someone with whom we disagree, we can choose to really seek to understand their point of view. Or we can dig in more deeply and find ourselves more and more at odds.

We can find it quite difficult to set aside our needs for the needs of another. How often do we want everything our own way? How often do our needs become the primary lens through which we see the world?

Perhaps the biggest problem is the problem of evil and sin itself. Why is their evil in the world if God is so loving? If God wants to save us from our sins, why are we still in our committing sin?

This was the question of the disciples at the start of today’s gospel. Did the man sin? Did the parents sin? And Jesus gives the answer to the disciples. God permits evil so that he can bring greater glory from it. 

Consider the greater glory of our own baptism. What greater gift can we receive? What action of God can mean more for us? In what way can God better demonstrate love for each one of us?

Baptism is about conversion. The way in which we are given grace by God to be saved. A gift we do not deserve. A gift we did not earn. But a gift, when we accept it, that compels us to enter the world as a witness to all that God, in his mercy, can do for us.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week provide the opportunity to reflect more deeply on our salvation. Father Don Goergen will give our parish mission, giving us the chance for a deeper reflection on the Word of God in our lives. Be sure to make one, two or even all three nights. Each night we begin at 7pm. 

But this season of Lent is not just about our own conversion. Lent is about the privilege this community has to be a part of the conversion of those coming into the Church. For when we witness the ways in which God has moved and acted in others, we can see more clearly God’s activity all over the place. Everyone. In every age at every time. 

This Sunday these people coming into the Church will receive the Creed, the core of our faith. They will not just receive it, they will embrace it in their desire to live it.

The blind man had his eyes opened in the pool of Siloam. Siloam. Sent. In receiving the Creed, those coming into the Church will go to the pool of Siloam as well. They will be sent. Sent to share what God in his goodness has done for each one of them. 

God has a deep and glorious plan for each one of us. King David certainly had no idea what was coming ahead in his life. He was the youngest runt of the family. And yet God called him to become not only the king of all Israel, but the one whose descendent would usher into the world the very Kingdom of God.

Just as David does not know what lies ahead, neither do we. King David’s life was one of deep devotion, but it was also one of deep sin. But in the end, King David was a man who understood his primary relationship was with God. David praised God, he sought God’s mercy and forgiveness, he trusted in God’s promise.

Saint Paul tells us just what this promise is. “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” And Saint Paul tells us what it is we need to do. “Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”

Whether we have been baptized for many years, or are one of those coming into the Church this Easter, the message of God is the same. We are loved by God, who wants us to see just how much it is that he wants to live with us forever.

On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update.

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