The Sunday of the Blind Man

This Sunday commemorates the gift of sight to the man born blind by Jesus Christ. The miracle of the healing of the man born blind is very closely connected to the days of Pentecost by Christians: similar to others, it is commemorated by the Holy Church in this period, and by its occurrence this miracle announces the Divine power and glory of the risen Lord (John 9:31-33, 38). According to the explanation in the Synaxarion, the miracle of the healing of the man born blind is commemorated on this Sunday because it was accomplished in Pentecost. In the example of the man born blind, who was healed by Jesus Christ the Holy Church presents an image of any sinner, who is blind from birth, "because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23), but by the spiritual and physical gift of the wonderful light the eyes of the blind man teaches that the Enlightener is truly the Lord alone, and only in His light is it possible to behold the true and saving light. Therefore the Holy Church in the hymns for this day also appeals to us to cry out: "O Christ God, the Sun of righteousness, Who by your most pure touch enlightened all, now give sight to our spiritual eyes and show us to be the sons of the day", and "our sight of sincere feeling"; "Since You were born from the Virgin, filling all with light, fill me with light for You are compassionate"; "On my wretched soul which battles at night with the darkness of passions, hasten and have compassion, and shine in me, O mental Sun, the rays of the bright star by which you took out the night from the light"; "Enlighten my mental eyes which are blind, O Lord, from the darkness of sin, and enlighten, O Compassionate One, my closed eyes being washed by tears of humility and repentance"; "Grant me, O Christ, a stream of inscrutable wisdom and knowledge from on high, O existing Light of those in darkness and Guide of all those gone astray".

Sergius Vasilyevich Bulgakov