Abstract:
Liberation, Conversion and Catechesis have the purpose, in John 9, to
identify the itinerary of a person born blind in order to profess publicly his adhesion of
faith to Jesus, as the Son of Man, in a time of exclusion from the synagogue.
The liberation from laws and rules not directed towards defending life and,
therefore, not according to the will of God, with regard to an excluding situation, takes
courage after having opened eyes and mind.
The first chapter considers the gospel according to the community of John as
a whole, pointing out its main characteristics, its relation to the Jewish Feasts and the
Sabbath. Chapter two deepens the study of the narration about the healing of the
man born blind so as to make clear how liberation, conversion and catechesis
become evident in the text. The narration presents the process of adhesion to Jesus
as the Son of Man, showing how, accordingly, Jesus has to be seen exactly like he
is. Therefore, the person who professes faith in Him, even in times of punishment
and exclusion by the Jews and Pharisees, needs having his eyes gradually opened.
The understanding of who Jesus is begins with doing what he orders, confronting
courageously the questionning by the group of Jews Pharisees and not fearing to
express an opinion contrary to theirs, even at the risk of punishment. The man born
blind now healed, who lets himself be illuminated by Jesus, is a model for the
community. Chapter three shows how the text of John 9 can be used for catechesis
and how the community of John, the Jewish and the ancient Christian communities
developed their catechetical process. Based on the itinerary of liberation and
conversion made by the man born blind now healed, indicative elements for the
catechesis of adults in our days are presented.
