Please read this passage before reading the homily.
My sisters and brothers,
In Hebrew, a pool for ritual washing is called a mikveh. There was in Jerusalem a mikveh called Siloam. It is near the tunnel King Hezekiah dug to bring water into the city. Jewish people would use this mikveh to wash before going into the temple. Jesus sent the blind person to a mikveh to be healed.
Blind people could not avoid touching places or things that were taboo or that would cause them to become impure because they could not see where they were stepping or touching. Putting mud in the person’s eyes would have caused temporary uncleanness; washing in the mikveh would grant him permanent cleansing.
“Jesus made clay with saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam.” Jesus cured the eyes and the uncleanness of the blind person. Through the waters of the mikveh the blind person was cleansed of his uncleanness. The mud made for a temporary state of uncleanness; the washing of his body made him clean permanently.
The waters of the mikveh cleaned Jewish people of their uncleanness. Our faith likewise has its mikveh-waters which purify us, the waters of baptism. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is in us like living water leading us to eternal life.
Those seeking baptism are expecting the water of baptism to cure their blindness and cleanse them of their sins at the Easter Vigil.
We, likewise, who are celebrating this Lent, seeking renewal of the spirit of our baptism, can listen to the Holy Spirit who is inviting us into the mystery of the baptismal mikveh.
Jesus has come into the world so that the blind can see and that those who see can know what they have to see better the light of God.