Orthodox Church commemorates Sunday of the Blind on May 17

The Orthodox Church marks May 17 as the Sunday of the Blind, the final Sunday of Pentecost before the Ascension. The feast recalls the Gospel account in which Jesus heals a man born blind, a miracle interpreted as a symbol of both physical sight and spiritual enlightenment. Sermons emphasize that seeing with the eyes is insufficient without faith, and that true vision comes from acknowledging Christ.

The liturgical celebration also honors several saints, including Andronicus and Iounia, Athanasius the New of Christianopolis, and Nicholas the New Martyr of Metsovo. The day is highlighted in the church calendar as one of the most significant spiritual Sundays of the Paschal period.