Sunday of the Blind Man
“Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
Commemorated the 6th Sunday after Pascha
June 9th, 2024
Sunday of the Blind Man - On the 6th Sunday after Pascha, the Orthodox Church remembers the miracle of Christ healing the man who was blind since birth, the biblical story found in John 9:1-41. This is the last Sunday of the Paschal period before the Feast of the Ascension, which will follow on Thursday of this week. The Leave-taking of Pascha is on Wednesday, a day which is fast-free and celebrated with the joy and brightness of the Feast of Feasts. I will share a little more about the significance of this Sunday, some activities, reading suggestions, and other ways to engage with your children to help them learn more about this day!
Scroll to learn more about this feast, including activity suggestions for younger and older kids and reading/book suggestions
Read more about the Sunday of the Blind Man:
Biblical Event - (John 9:1-38) As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was born blind since birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed, and went home seeing.
Jesus Healing the Blind Man. Icon available for purchase through Uncut Mountain Supply
The miracle described in today’s Gospel (John 9:1-38) is even more remarkable than it might seem at first. Saint Basil and other Fathers tell us that this was not just a case of giving sight to a blind man born with eyes that did not function, but to someone who had no eyes at all! The Gospel says, “Since the world began, it was not heard that any man opened the eyes of one who was born blind” (John 9:32). There are examples in the Old (Tobit 2:17) and New (Mark 8:22-26) Testaments of blind people receiving sight, but this is something completely unprecedented. Jesus placed clay in the man’s empty sockets and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. When he obeyed these instructions, the eyes of clay became living eyes! The blind man believed in Jesus' words, obeyed His command, went and washed himself, and the eyes of clay became living eyes. This was the greatest miracle that our Lord had yet worked. Because he now had eyes, some even doubted that he was the same person (John 9:8-9); and it was still in their mind when Jesus 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?"
Who is the Blind Man?
In his Menaion, Saint Demetrius of Rostov calls the blind man St Celidonius. St Basil the Great and other fathers draw attention to the uniqueness of this miracle of our Lord’s. They say that it was not just a case of a man whose eyes were not working. They say that St. Celidonius was actually born without eyes. In other words Jesus placed the clay upon empty sockets, the place where the eyes ought to have been, and lo, eyes appeared – eyes which saw perfectly! Our Lord showed Himself to be the Creator who had made man out of the dust of the earth. Along with these eyes also came spiritual sight as St. Celidonius gave courageous testimony to his healing in response to the hostile questions about the miracle by those who felt threatened by the emerging Messiah. (Source)
Activity Ideas :
Make “Mud” Brownies - I am always a fan of incorporating food into any lesson, especially for children! Check out this recipe for brownie pudding by Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and make your own delicious mud! It’s a great sensory experience to help kids connect the healing element (mud) Jesus used to heal the blind man!
Listen to the Bible Story on the Podcast Let Us Attend of John 9:1-38, told for Younger Children in this 3 minute video
Make Playdough “Mud” in this DIY Recipe
Check out this lesson and coloring page from the Antiochian Archdiocese
Act out the Story - Take turns blindfolding different members of your family and have another family member guide them around the house or yard. After everyone has had a turn with the blindfold and as a guide, discuss what it was like not being able to see. Discuss how we can be spiritually blind and how we can work to see properly as Orthodox Christians (via GOARCH). You can even act out the scene with playdoh “mud” placed on their eyes instead of a blind fold. Check out this DIY playdough recipe above.
Listen to this fun song for kids about the Miracles of Jesus by Gigi Baba on YouTube - mentions “giving sight to the blind man”
For Older Kids:
Check out this lesson plan for pre-schoolers all the way through high schoolers which includes discussion questions that are sure to challenge your kids to look deeper into this story. Courtesy of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese
Book Recommendations :
For Biblical Stories, we love to read them directly from the source! Read the story of Jesus healing a blind man in John 9:1-38.
One of our Favorite Children’s Bibles are Children’s Bible Reader (Pictured Above)
For Older Kids:
Read this Commentary by St John Chrysostom on the Healing of the Blind Man
“As Jesus went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is the day, we must do the works of him who sent me. The night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
I hope you have a blessed Lord’s Day with your family!
-Khouria Destinie
