https://youtu.be/soG1u9zP61w

Blind Man

The Lord Jesus was coming from the Temple on the Sabbath, when, while walking in the way, He saw the blind man mentioned in today's Gospel. This man had been born thus from his mother's womb, that is, he had been born without eyes (see Saint John Chrysostom, Homily LVI on Matthew; Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V:15; and the second Exorcism of Saint Basil the Great). When the disciples saw this, they asked their Teacher, "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" They asked this because when the Lord had healed the paralytic at the Sheep's Pool, He had told him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14); so they wondered, if sickness was caused by sin, what sin could have been the cause of his being born without eyes. But the Lord answered that this was for the glory of God. Then the God-man spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle. He anointed the eyes of the blind man and said to him, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam (which means "sent") was a well-known spring in Jerusalem used by the inhabitants for its waters, which flowed to the eastern side of the city and collected in a large pool called "the Pool of Siloam."

Therefore, the Saviour sent the blind man to this pool that he might wash his eyes, which had been anointed with the clay-not that the pool's water had such power, but that the faith and obedience of the one sent might be made manifest, and that the miracle might become more remarkable and known to all, and leave no room for doubt. Thus, the blind man believed in Jesus' words, obeyed His command, went and washed himself, and returned, no longer blind, but having eyes and seeing. This was the greatest miracle that our Lord had yet worked; as the man healed of his blindness himself testified, "Since time began, never was it heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind," although the Lord had already healed the blind eyes of many. Because he now had eyes, some even doubted that he was the same person (John 9:8-9); and it was still lively in their remembrance when Christ came to the tomb of Lazarus, for they said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have caused that even this man should not have died?" Saint John Chrysostom gives a thorough and brilliant exposition of our Lord's meeting with the woman of Samaria, the healing of the paralytic, and the miracle of the blind man in his commentaries on the Gospel of Saint John.

Escaping From the Abyss of Sin

  Православие.Ru, 16 мая 2017 г. http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/103492.htm St. Alexei Mechev Translated by Jesse Dominick  Photo: todayschristianwoman.com Our Lord Jesus Christ tirelessly taught His disciples and those who heard Him. Therefore, huge crowds of people always walked behind Him, thirsting to hear His holy teachings. And now He preaches at the well. He grew tired after a long journey and a sweltering day. The Samaritan Woman came to the well for some water. The Lord began a conversation with her about true prayer and about where we ought to pray to God, and gave her instructions for eternal life, convicting her of secret sins. The Samaritan Woman, hearing this reminder of her intemperate and scampish life with her unlawful husband, was moved thereby to the depths of her conscience and heart—not justifying herself, but from an excess of grateful feelings she exclaimed, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet (Jn. 4:19), and led the whole city to meet the Lord. This remarkable woman then became a Christian, receiving the name Photini (“radiant”) in Baptism, later completely justifying the meaning of her name. She preached the name of Christ not just in her homeland, but in other countries—in Africa and in Italy. Together with her younger son she turned many people to Christ. Her older son Viktor served in the army under Nero and was made a commander in Italy, so as to exterminate Christianity there, but instead, as a soldier of Christ, he was the protector of Christians, and like his mother a zealous preacher of the Gospel. When the Roman tyrant learned of it, he ordered the Christians to present themselves to him. At that time, Photini along with her five sisters and her son willingly appeared before the tyrant, and to his question, “Why have you come to us?” they answered, “To teach you to revere Christ.” Then the torturer ordered to crush the hands of the saints on an anvil. However, it crushed neither their faith nor their bodies. It was then ordered to cut off their hands, but the sword was ineffective. The martyrs were imprisoned in a dungeon, but even there they continued to preach Christ, and the place of criminals was turned into a church of God—for which they were subjected to new torments, which eventually ended their suffering lives. St. Photini’s (the Samaritan Woman’s) skin was flayed off, and her body was cast into a well by command of the tyrant. Thus, she who at the well left the path of sin and received from the Life-giver living water and grace, leaving her temporal life behind at the well, passed into another, better, blessed, and eternal life. Such was the Samaritan Woman mentioned in the Gospel. So bravely did she undergo suffering for faith in Christ! Her life is one of the most striking examples of how the grace of God can revive even the most sinful of souls, and raise it up from the chasm of ungodliness to the heights of spiritual glory. Sinful and despised by all, Photini went to the well to secretly draw up some ordinary water, but she drew up “living water, saving water.” This sinner, whom merely to touch was considered defiling by the zealots of the Law, mercifully accepted the Lord and Savior! What great encouragement, what unshakable support for all of us sinners. The Lord is always, every minute ready to accept everyone who turns to Him with sincerity and depth of contrition. Therefore, my friends, no matter how corrupt we are, it is worth it to turn to the Lord Jesus in full repentance; but our turning to the Lord and Savior must not consist merely of empty words, or lamenting for a minute, but of a sincere and firm determination to escape from the abyss of sin, without turning back.