Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Fr. Taras Gorpynyak on the Sixth Sunday after Easter
May 9, 2026
Just as Christ once met the blind man, who was doomed to physical and spiritual ruin, so He meets each of us at various moments in our lives to enlighten our lives, to bring about change in our lives, and to fill us with His light.
Christ is Risen!
Dear brothers and sisters!
This Sunday we read the story of a blind man who regained his sight upon encountering Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 9:1–38). Following the Feast of the Resurrection, this is now the third Gospel account of an encounter between Jesus and a person in need, after which a transformation took place in that person’s life. The paralytic, the Samaritan woman, and now the man born blind show through their lives how important it is to encounter God and believe in Him.
Everyone who has eyes sees this world. But how do we see? We can see the same thing in different ways. There are those who see everything through the eyes of sin because they are living in sin: to them, everything is bad, all people are unkind, nothing is as it should be, and they are constantly dissatisfied.
And there are those who truly see — those who, in the light of their hearts, see not only the presence of evil in this world but also God’s goodness, which is present in their lives. Such people live in the hope that everything will change, that things are getting better, that in every difficulty there is a path to holiness. The blind man who regained his sight teaches those blinded by fanaticism and false “righteousness” that a person’s faith is evident in their life and actions.
The Lord God hears those who honor Him and do His will. It turns out that the best prayer is the one spoken by a person who honors God and does His will, keeping His commandments above all else.
Prayer is an encounter with God. Is this so, or should it be so? Just as Christ once met the blind man, who was doomed to physical and spiritual ruin, so He meets each of us at various moments in our lives to enlighten our lives, to bring about change in our lives, and to fill us with His light.
Let us pray that the story of the blind man may be renewed among us! May Christ open our spiritual eyes so that we may see the beauty of a righteous life and live as our Savior teaches us, so that through us the light of God’s truth may be revealed to others. Amen.
