John 9:6 (WEB)
When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud,
Catechism · 2
Celebrating the Church's Liturgy
“He performs healings and illustrates his preaching with physical signs or symbolic gestures.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Jn 9:6; Mk 7:33ff.; 8:22ff.
The Anointing of the Sick
“He makes use of signs to heal: spittle and the laying on of hands, mud and washing.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Jn 9:6-7.
Fathers and councils · 28
Ambrose of Milan
“He spreads clay on the eyes of some that they may see, and the Creator of all teaches us that we ought to be mindful of our own nature, and to discern the vileness of our body; for no one can see divine things except one who through knowledge of his vileness cannot be puffed up.” — editor's note: S. John ix. 6.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“So also the woman with an issue of blood, who believed, and only touched the hem of His garment, was healed, and the sea with its foaming waves heard the incarnate Word, and ceased its storm, while the man blind from birth was healed by the fleshly spitting of the Word.” — editor's note: John ix. 6.
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John Chrysostom
“One might see eyes fashioned ( John ix. 6, 7 ), (might see) Him showing to all in short space and on the more noble portion of the body, that admirable thing which all would have desired to…” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment““He made clay, and anointed mine eyes” ( c. ix. 6 ); and so this man of whom we now speak, “It is Jesus who made me whole.”” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“John ix. 6, 7” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“But there are occasions on which He even repeals it directly, and not with circumstance: as when He anoints with the clay the eyes of the blind man;as when He saith, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”” — editor's note: John ix. 6, 14.
Read the whole comment“Thus, first, in the case of the blind man, He doth not so much as defend Himself to them, when He made the clay: and yet then also were they blaming Him; but the manner of the creation was enough to indicate the Lord and Ownerof the law.” — editor's note: John ix. 6.
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Augustine of Hippo
“…clay and spittle of some other one born blind, and have done the other things which the Son appearing in the flesh did among men, before the Son did them; in order that He might be able to do those things, who said that the Son was not able to do anything of Himself, except what He hath seen the Father do.” — editor's note: Matt. xiv. 26, and John ix. 6, 7
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Ephrem the Syrian
“He spat then on His fingers and placed them in the ears of that deaf man; and He mixed clay of His spittle, and spread it upon the eyes of the blind man; that we might learn that as there was defect in the eyeballs of that man who was blind from his mother’s womb, so there was defect in the ears of this [man].” — editor's note: St. John ix. 6.
Read the whole comment“With clay He opened the eyes of the blind, so that the eyeballs beheld the light.” — editor's note: John ix. 6.
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Catena Aurea on John
- John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
The Jews having rejected Christ’s words, because of their depth, He went out of the temple, and healed the blind man; that His absence might appease their fury, and the miracle soften their hard hearts, and convince…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on John
Mystically, our Lord, after being banished from the minds of the Jews, passed over to the Gentiles. (non occ.). The passage or journey here is His descent from heaven to earth, where He saw the blind man, i. e.…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
For the blind man here is the human race. Blindness came upon the first man by reason of sin: and from him we all derive it: i. e. man is blind from his birth.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
Rabbi is Master. They call Him Master, because they wished to learn: they put their question to our Lord, as to a Master.
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John
This question does not seem a proper one. For the Apostles had not been taught the fond notion of the Gentiles, that the soul has sinned in a previous state of existence. It is difficult to account for their putting it.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
They were led to ask this question, by our Lord having said above, on healing the man sick of the palsy, Lo, thou art made whole; sin no more. Thinking from this that the man had been struck with the palsy for his…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
Was he then born without original sin, or had he never added to it by actual sin? Both this man and his parents had sinned, but that sin was not the reason why he was born blind. Our Lord gives the reason; viz. That…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
He is not to be understood as meaning that others had become blind, in consequence of their parents’ sins: for one man cannot be punished for the sin of another. But had the man therefore suffered unjustly? Rather I…
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John
One stroke falls on the sinner, for punishment only, not conversion; another for correction; another not for correction of past sins, but prevention of future; another neither for correcting past, nor preventing…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
That the glory of God should be made manifest, He saith of Himself, not of the Father; the Father’s glory was manifest already. I must work the works of Him that sent Me: i. e. I must manifest Myself, and shew that I…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on John
For when the Son declared that He worked the works of the Father, He proved that His and His Father’s works were the same: which are to heal the sick, to strengthen the weak, and enlighten man.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
By His saying, Who sent Me, He gives all the glory to Him from Whom He is. The Father hath a Son Who is from Him, but hath none from whom He Himself is.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
While it is day, He adds; i. e. while men have the opportunity of believing in Me; while this life lasts; The night cometh, when none can work. Night here means that spoken of in Matthew, Cast him into outer…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
But if we work now, now is the day time, now is Christ present; as He says, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. This then is the day. The natural day is completed by the circuit of the sun, and…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
He then confirms His words by deeds: When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. He who had brought greater substances into…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John
Some think that the clay was not laid upon the eyes, but made into eyes.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
Our Lord spat upon the ground, and made clay of the spittle, because He was the Word made flesh. The man did not see immediately as he was anointed; i. e. was, as it were, only made a catechumen. But he was sent to…
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John
Or thus: By His spittle understand the savour of inward contemplation. It runs down from the head into the mouth, and gives us the taste of revelation from the Divine splendour even in this life. The mixture of His…
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Cross-references · 21
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 11.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 10.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 11.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 11.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 10.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 10.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 11.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 11.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 11.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 11.
Cited together in Three Homilies Homily 3.
Cited together in Three Homilies Homily 3.
Cited together in Three Homilies Homily 3.
Cited together in Three Homilies Homily 3.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 10.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 10.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 10.
Cited together in Three Homilies Homily 3.
Cited together in Concerning Widows Chapter 10.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 11.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity II.1.