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b'(1Sm.16:1b,6-7,10-13a;\\xa0\\xa0 Ps.23:1-6;\\xa0\\xa0 Eph.5:8-14;\\xa0\\xa0 Jn.9:1-41) \\xa0 \\u201cI am the light of the world.\\u201d \\xa0 And by that light alone we see.\\xa0 By this light which comes from God we who were born blind, who were born into sin, have our eyes opened.\\xa0 And so having escaped the darkness we \\u201clive as children of light.\\u201d When David was presented before Samuel, immediately the prophet\\u2019s eyes were opened to the one on whom God\\u2019s favor rested.\\xa0 His eyes which had first \\u201cjudge[d] from\\u2026 appearance,\\u201d now with the Lord look \\u201cinto the heart.\\u201d\\xa0 How clearly he hears the Lord speak to him, \\u201cThere \\u2013 anoint him, for this is the one!\\u201d\\xa0 And how readily he takes \\u201cthe horn of oil in hand\\u201d and anoints the new king.\\xa0 And how wonderfully \\u201cfrom that day on, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.\\u201d Here is our own baptism in the Lord foretold.\\xa0 Here is our own anointing with the oil of Christ presaged.\\xa0 And as \\u201cJesus made clay and anointed [the] eyes\\u201d of the blind man, so in our baptism we find our own anointing, an anointing which washes us clean of original sin, an anointing which prepares our hearts to receive Him \\u2013 an anointing which opens our eyes to His light.\\xa0 The eyes of our heart now see.\\xa0 Our souls cry out from their depths of the light which has entered in and made them clean.\\xa0 And so we say with the blind man in the presence of Jesus, \\u201cI do believe, Lord,\\u201d and we, too, worship Him as our \\u201ccup overflows\\u201d with \\u201cthe goodness and kindness\\u201d of God. \\u201cChrist will give you light.\\u201d\\xa0 For this He has come into the world, \\u201cthat those who do not see might see.\\u201d\\xa0 In the words of Scripture, Paul entreats us today: \\u201cAwake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead.\\u201d\\xa0 The Lord has come to give us light.\\xa0 As long as we say, \\u201c\\u2018We see,\\u2019 so [our] sin remains\\u201d; we must be blind, we must recognize sin\\u2019s darkness encroaching upon our souls\\u2026 and then we would \\u201chave no sin,\\u201d for then Jesus would remove from us our sin \\u2013 then He would bring us light. \\u201cEverything exposed by the light becomes visible,\\u201d and so we must bring our sins before Him, and from the dead we shall rise\\u2026 and with His light we shall shine.\\xa0 May the Lord anoint us all with the oil of Christ, and may we be faithful to that anointing. \\xa0 (Note: In Confession as in Baptism we are washed clean of our sins by Christ, and light is thus brought to our eyes.\\xa0 Constant recourse we have to this preservation of our souls.) Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder" (second part) from\\xa0Listening to the Lamp, ninth album of\\xa0Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, the innocent Lamb is Himself our Shepherd; may we find salvation at His side.\\xa0 YHWH, let us enter into your presence through your only Son, who is the true Shepherd guiding us to you.\\xa0 May we follow in His steps.\\xa0 Even though it lead to the Cross, may we remain near Him, ready to give our lives as He has, as the innocent Lamb for our salvation.\\xa0 Though we are cut to the heart by the truth He speaks in His Word and through His apostles, let us turn to Him in repentance and find His comfort and peace \\u2013 let us thus find ourselves in your holy arms. O LORD, let our ears be open to hear His voice and His voice alone.\\xa0 Let us not be led astray by false shepherds, false prophets who seek only their own gain and not the welfare of your sheep.\\xa0 It is to sacrifice you call us, not to selfishness, and by laying down our lives, by entering the wounds in His flesh, we shall find eternal rest in your House.\\xa0 Let us be washed clean in His blood and so be saved from corruption.'