The Blind See Meditation
Here is a simple Lenten prayer service. Have three Bibles (mark one at Matthew 91:27-30, the second at Mark 8:22-25, and the third at Luke 18:35:43). Choose three readers and hand each one of the Bibles. Gather in a chapel if possible. The classroom will also work as a prayer setting. Turn off the lights and darken the windows. Tell the students to close their eyes and sit quietly for a few minutes. Say: Imagine that you are blind. Try to put yourself back into the time of Jesus and think what it would have been like to have him cure you of your blindness. Keep your eyes closed while you listen to three Gospel accounts of Jesus curing the blind man. Call on the readers to read their passage one at a time. Allow some quiet time between each reading. After all the readings are finished say: Keep your eyes closed. Hear Jesus saying now in your heart, “What do you want me to do for you?” Answer him. What do you need from Jesus? Maybe you have a blindness that needs healing, a blindness that keeps you from believing and trusting in him, or from seeing your own goodness. Or from finding a way out of a problem you are entangled with. (Pause.) In the reading from Mark’s Gospel, the blind man was brought to Jesus by his friends. Maybe you, too, have friends or family members who need Jesus to touch them. Maybe people you love are being blinded by anger, jealousy, selfishness, drugs, or some other problem. Bring them to Jesus. Ask him to touch the blind spot in their lives and heal them. (Pause.) I will now walk around among you touch each of you with a healing touch of Jesus. When you have been touched, open your eyes while remaining quiet. (Walk among the group, prayerfully touching each person on the shoulder. As you do this play some meditative instrumental music.) After the song, say: In each of the Gospel stories, those who had been healed praised God for the new gift of sight. Project the words from Psalm 100 so that the class can see them or duplicate them on handout and pray them together: Sing to the Lord, all the world! Worship the Lord with joy; come before him with happy songs! Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us and we belong to him; we are his people, we are his flock Enter the Temple gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise him. `` The Lord is good; his love is eternal and his faithfulness lasts forever.
