FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT
SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH, 2026​

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INTRODUCTION​

Baptism is sometimes called enlightenment. The gospel for this Sunday is the
     story of the man born blind healed by Christ. “I was blind, now I see,” declares
     the man. In baptism God opens our eyes to see the truth of who we are: God’s
     beloved children. As David was anointed king of Israel, in baptism God anoints our
     head with oil, and calls us to bear witness to the light of Christ in our daily lives.

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PRAYER OF THE DAY

Bend your ear to our prayers, Lord Christ, and come among us. By your gracious
     life and death for us, bring light into the darkness of our hearts, and anoint us with
     your Spirit, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God,
     now and forever. Amen.​

FIRST READING

1 SAMUEL 16:1-13
Samuel anointed David even though he was the eighth-oldest son of Jesse and
     did not match his brothers in height or other physical characteristics. With the
     anointing came endowment with the Spirit of the Lord, designating David as the
     Lord’s chosen successor to Saul.

1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected
     him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you
     to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
     2 Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord
     said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
     3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do, and you
     shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord
     commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him
     trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 He said, “Peaceably. I have
     come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the
     sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

     6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely his anointed is now
     before the Lord.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance
     or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him, for the Lord does not
     see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on
     the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. He
     said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass
     by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse made seven of
     his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not
     chosen any of these.” 11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he
     said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel
     said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
     12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and
     was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him, for this is the one.” 13 Then
     Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and
     the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel
     then set out and went to Ramah.

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PSALM

PSALM 23
(Response) You anoint my head with oil. (Ps. 23:5)

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not be in want.
2 The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures
and leads me beside still waters.
3 You restore my soul, O Lord,
and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
(Response) You anoint my head with oil. (Ps. 23:5)

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

(Response) You anoint my head with oil. (Ps. 23:5)

SECOND READING

EPHESIANS 6:8-14
Because we now live in the divine light which is Jesus Christ, we conduct our
     lives in ways that reflect the light of Christ, so that our activity is truly pleasing to God.

8 Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Walk as children of
     light, 9 for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try
     to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of
     darkness; rather, expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what such
     people do secretly, 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for
     everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
     “Sleeper, awake!
     Rise from the dead,
     and Christ will shine on you.”​

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​​​​GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Jesus says, I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will have the light of life. (John 8:12)

GOSPEL READING

JOHN 9:1-41
Jesus heals a man born blind, provoking a hostile reaction that he regards as
     spiritual blindness to the things of God.

1 As [Jesus] walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked
     him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
     3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so
     that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who
     sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am
     in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the
     ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes,
     7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he
     went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who
     had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to
     sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is
     someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am he.” 10 But they kept asking him, “Then
     how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made
     mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went
     and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said,
     “I do not know.”

     13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it
     was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the
     Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them,
     “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the
     Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.”
     Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they
     were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about
     him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

     18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight
     until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked
     them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now   
     see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was
     born blind, 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know
     who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His
     parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already
     agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of
     the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

     24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said
     to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered,
     “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was
     blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open
     your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not
     listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his
     disciples?” 28 Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are
     disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this
     man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Here is an
     astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my
     eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one
     who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been
     heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were
     not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born
     entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

     35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him he said, “Do
     you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so
     that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one
     speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him.
     39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see
     may see and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees
     who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?”
     41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that
     you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

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