Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his reflection on the  Gospel of this Sunday, March 15, 2026,   entitled:  “The Lord looks at hearts” .

1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13:  “The Lord looks at the hearts”

Psalm 22:  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Ephesians 5:8-14:  “Live as children of light”

John 9:1-41:  “I went, I washed, and I began to see.”

The Lenten journey is a journey of light. Saint John surprises us by presenting Jesus as the true light, with a vivid and contrasting narrative where the simple discover the light and the wise remain in darkness. These are signs for the believer who seeks to find Christ and illuminate their life. Every word, every character, and every detail of the narrative holds a lesson for our inner life, and we can place ourselves in the position of each character and experience their feelings. Encountering Jesus always implies a profound change in life, an inner transformation that involves our whole being. Simply contemplating the image of the man lying on the ground, begging for alms, at the mercy or whim of passersby, and contrasting it with the image of the free man, capable of standing up to those who accuse and harass him, who chooses a true profession of faith, would move us to desire that same freedom for ourselves in the search for truth. Encountering Jesus will always illuminate our lives and our choices.

There is no one more blind than he who will not see. The beginning of the narrative, besides briefly describing the blind man’s situation, presents the disciples’ shortsightedness, faithful exponents of the beliefs of their time. Viewing everything through the lens of sin, blaming others, and analyzing situations without contributing our own efforts are practices common throughout history. Jesus does not see things this way. Jesus understands even the worst situations as moments of grace and always finds an opportunity for “the works of God to be revealed.” In the mud and saliva, many scholars attempt to see a new creation that would lead us to the magnificent narrative of the divine breath giving life to the clay molded to create Adam. To see everything with the eyes of the Father’s creative love and not with the eyes of destruction and evil, to see each day as a gift from the God of life and as an opportunity to continue his creation, would be a good way of striving to see with God’s eyes. Jesus looks beyond the misery or apparent greatness of people to find suffering within and transform what seemed like bondage into liberation and life. Jesus’ gaze always goes deep into the person and finds reasons to praise his Father.

For the Pharisees, the law was more important than life. Even back then, rules were valued more than people; self-interest more than human suffering. The struggles for power and prestige were stronger than the care and well-being of the most vulnerable. The sad thing is, they didn’t realize it. From their perspective, they believed they were fulfilling their duty to God and humanity, but all they were doing was using both God and people for their own selfish purposes. This is the constant reality for those whose eyes, already shaped by their hearts, were filtered through the lens of utility, rules, and structures. Just as the Pharisees seem ridiculous to us, so too do our programs, economic policies, the business dealings of powerful nations, and the squabbles of political parties that disregard people. Seeking their own interests, they disguised them as a desire to serve and the needs of the people. That’s why they are so contradictory. We all act this way when we disparage people, when we dismiss them without addressing their needs, when we hide behind supposed laws. We don’t look into the hearts of others. As the Lord told Samuel, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Can we look beyond appearances and see the person?

In the face of such events, there are always those who remain indifferent. The curious and the parents introduce us to those who look on with eyes that may well be sympathetic, but not committed. We may feel pity for the vast masses of the hungry, ask a few pertinent questions, but without committing ourselves because it would mean jeopardizing our comfort and security. The parents’ response is crystal clear: they claim to be aware of the entire problem, but also wash their hands of it: “Ask him; he’s old enough and will answer for himself.” Perhaps this reflects many of us who speak out and denounce injustice and lies, but who are then unwilling to face the consequences, neither in our personal lives nor in the risks that our denunciation entails. It’s easy to complain about violence and feign ignorance. It’s even prestigious to speak of poverty and misery, but if it doesn’t lead us to take our place among the poor, it remains mere demagoguery. It’s wise to speak of God, but it’s a commitment to view things through His eyes. Saint Paul gives us clear criteria to see if our gaze is of light; when we act with kindness, holiness, and truth, we will be of the light.

The blind man, on the other hand, is transformed into light. First, he allows himself to be loved and lifted up by Jesus. He offers no resistance, nor does he want to continue his old way of life: depending on others. He grows, but he also accepts the challenge that independence brings. He begins simply by recounting the events, but telling the truth becomes increasingly demanding, and he begins to experience opposition. He then discovers that Christ is a prophet because he has restored his light, even though he has to contradict the Pharisees who accuse him of being an imposter. Then he is expelled, but he finds freedom. And he finally arrives at a full encounter with Jesus, not only with the healer, not only with the prophet, but with the Son of Man who speaks with him, who gives him new light. And he exclaims joyfully: “I believe, Lord.” It is the path from darkness to light, from seeing and thinking with human criteria to seeing and thinking with Jesus’ criteria. With what eyes do we see the world? With what criteria are we acting? How has our following of Jesus been? The path to discovering Jesus is dynamic. It does not end; every day we must illuminate our hearts with the light of His love, and every day we must compare our actions with His criteria.

Thank you, Father, for your Son Jesus who illuminates our entire lives. Lead us on the path of light so that we may embrace the truth of Christ and walk as children of the light. Amen.