Our reading today from John’s Gospel is rich in symbolism, with our sight being the metaphor for faith in Jesus and the life of discipleship. Noted author, Richard Gaillardetz, speaks of the journey by which the blind man “comes to see who Jesus is, which is counterposed with the increasing blindness of the Jewish religious leaders. Acquiring sight is all about recognizing the true identity of Jesus and learning to live out of that truth.” The Gospel message today is complemented by Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, which invites followers of Jesus to “live as children of light.” In our Lenten journey, we move alongside those journeying through Christian Initiation that culminates in baptism at Easter, each group learning to see Jesus as the one who gives true meaning to our lives. In these trying and stressful times, we can lose hope in the purpose of our lives and become trapped by the darkness of those thoughts. This darkness can become so pervasive that it shields the light of God’s grace and mercy from reaching us. The key to moving away from our self-imposed darkness is to quiet our hearts and minds to hear God’s voice. The Lord calls us to the light, to the freedom of being unshackled from fear, “Though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil…for He is with me always, until the end of time.”