Reflection –
Clearly patterning Christian Initiation, the man born blind is “anointed” with the paste and then washed clean and can see. His new sight leads to mixed reactions, choices and the opportunity to bear witness. Only in remaining steadfast in the face of opposition is he able to receive the gift of life eternal.
Mass readings.
4th Sunday of Lent – Year A – 14th& 15th March, 2026
1st Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
Responsorial Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd there is nothing I shall want
Second Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14
Gospel Acclamation: Praise and Honour to you, Lord Jesus. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows will have the light of life. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus
Gospel: John 9: 1-41
Important Note: Please scroll within the below window to have access to daily readings for the Holy Catholic Mass. To keep scrolling down Our Lady’s newsletter, just scroll outside the window.
PARISH UPDATES:
Easter Services – the following are the planned services for Lent & the Easter Period
| Ash Wednesday 18th February | Holy Thursday 2nd April | Good Friday 3rd April | Easter Vigil 4th April | Easter Sunday 5th April |
St Cuthbert’s | 7pm | 7pm | 3pm | 8pm | 10am |
Our Lady’s | 10am | 6pm | 3pm | 8pm | 11.30am |
Special Collection – On Sunday 15 March there will be a special collection for Papal & Episcopal Charities (including SCIAF). 75 per cent of the collection goes to SCIAF and 25 per cent to the Archdiocesan Care Fund, which supports various good causes. Last year £32,067 was raised from this collection in the Archdiocese. Thank you for your support.
Feel called to the priesthood? – If you have been wondering whether God could be calling you to become a priest, you are not alone. If you are considering this call, take that step and get in touch today. Contact our Vocations Director at frpatrick.burke@staned.org.uk. Come and see where the Lord may be leading you.
Catechists for Special Needs – SPRED (Special Religious Development) groups need more catechists. Your role will be to share the Lord with adults with special needs at fortnightly term-time meetings. Catechists are trained by the Archdiocese and meet fortnightly for preparatory sessions. Interested? Contact Sr Mary Benedicta Maier RSM, SPRED Coordinator, at srmary.benedicta@staned.org.uk
NEW DATE: Legion of Mary of the Edinburgh Curia Annual Acies FeastThe date for the Legion of Mary of the Edinburgh Curia annual Acies Feast is now Sunday, 22 March, at 3:00pm in St Andrew’s Church, Ravelston, Edinburgh, EH4 3DS. The Legionaries will renew their fidelity to Our Lady. Monsignor Jeremy Milne, Vicar General of the Archdiocese, will address the Legionaries.
Youth Helper – Lourdes – Our Lady’s will be sponsoring John Kerr as a Youth Helper for Lourdes this year. John will be holding a Coffee Morning in the near future to raise funding, and we hope that you will all join in supporting this. Our congratulations to John.
IMPORTANT – Stations of the Cross will take place at 7pm every Friday in Lent.
Parish Council Meeting minutes – Latest PPC Meeting Minutes now available on the website
Our Lady’s Offertory Collections.
Last Sunday’s collection: £233.
Month total collections (Bank & Cash) £489
Bank Total (month) £778
Mass Bookings.
We are reminded that the booking of mass for our special intentions, wedding anniversaries, Birthday thanksgiving, Death anniversaries of our loved ones and general prayers is highly recommended. The mass stipends (Donations) are part of our contribution towards the good of the church and support of our priest.
MASS TIMINGS
MASS INTENTIONS
MASS DONOR
Wednesday, March 18th 10.00am
-
-
Friday March 20th 10.00am
Margaret McDonald
Irene & Donald McLean
Sunday, March 22nd 11.30am
-
Blessings to you, your families and those who are dear to you in Jesus’ name, Amen.
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth
John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
At that time: As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. He spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘It is he.’ Others said, ‘No, but he is like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.’ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?’ And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’ They answered him, ‘You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?’ And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and he worshipped him.
Reflection on the painting
In the Gospels, Jesus is usually shown responding to those who actively want something. Yet there are moments when he takes the first step, acting without being asked. In today’s passage, he notices a man blind from birth and approaches him of his own accord. Without any request, Jesus makes mud with his saliva, places it on the man’s eyes, and sends him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man had not cried out or prepared himself in any way; he simply became the recipient of Christ’s attentive and compassionate gaze.
This scene reminds us that grace often comes to us in a similar, unexpected way. At times, we receive blessings we have done nothing to earn or initiate. A person may enter our life unexpectedly and alter its course for the better; or an unforeseen opportunity may arise that opens new paths before us. Like the blind man, we can find ourselves led from darkness into light, not through our own efforts, but through gifts freely given. These are moments when God quietly takes the initiative and transforms our lives.
El Greco painted Christ Healing the Blind around 1570, when he was approximately 29 years old, still in his formative Italian period before moving to Spain. This makes the work especially important: it shows a young artist absorbing the lessons of the Venetian Renaissance (dramatic colour and theatrical, complex architecture), while already experimenting boldly with his own innovative compositions. The scene shows Christ at the centre-left, surrounded by animated figures who react with astonishment to the miracle. What makes this painting particularly ‘ahead of its time’, is the daring inclusion of two large figures in foreground, which are partially cropped by the edge of the canvas. Such cropping was highly unusual in the sixteenth century, where compositions were typically balanced and contained figures without cropping them. Here, however, El Greco creates the sense that the scene spills into our own space, as if we are standing among the crowd witnessing the miracle. This bold visual device anticipates later developments in Baroque painting, where the viewer is drawn into the action rather than kept at a distance.
