30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B, Year I)
Community Word: True disciples of Jesus bear the nature and character of a child.
Theme: We bear the nature and character of a child when we have the courage to witness to our faith.
Promise: “I will console them and guide them, I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble.”(Jer 31:9b)
Reflection:
The Gospel of Mark for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time tells of Bartimeaus, the blind beggar, who received his eyesight back by merely trusting and believing that Jesus could heal him, “Master, I want to see.”Bartimeaus must have known that as a blind man, he was missing much of life. Furthermore, if he had been blind from birth, the society of that time would have attributed his blindness to sin.
And, because of his blindness, he was reduced to begging, and possibly,prevented from marrying as punishment for his presumed sinfulness. Therefore, unlike other “healthy” believers, he may also have beendeprived of a family. Blindness was a serious and severe burden in ancient Jewish culture.
Bartimaeus may not have been the only marginalized poor around who needed help, but it was his faith in Jesus, “Son of David,” that restored his sight, a powerful gift given him by Jesus, and also a metaphor for what Jesus and his gospel message offer to all who embrace the Gospel. No one can appreciate this gift fully until and unless God’s power allows it. Indeed, Jesus would often sound like it was God’s will and desire that each and every human person have God’s gift of sight and life. But only those who accept the role of Jesus as Messiah and embrace His message about God’s Kingdom can genuinely appreciate the life God offers to everyone. To “see” means to grasp and understand the depths of the Gospel message. And, to be “blind” is a metaphor for not yet having met or accepted the person and message of Jesus. Bartimaeus was given his sight upon engaging Jesus in his powerful ministry and he went on to live life more fully with new abilities, insights, and possibilities. His faith brought him to personally witness to the healing power of Jesus as he “followed him on the way.”
In the Gospel, some of Jesus’ disciples initially sought to silence Bartimaeus. But Jesus responded to Bartimaeus’ persistence by stopping and asking His disciples to bring Bartimaeus to Him. Isn’t that equally true of some of us, who are too blind to see the pitiful circumstance of our brethren who are crying out for help? It is clear from this narrative that Jesus calls each of us to Him, to be emissaries and testifiers to His love, and ministers of His healing grace and restoration to the less fortunate. He wants us to stop, to pause, and to wait on those lagging behind, the disadvantaged and disabled who deserve likewise, to experience the mercy of God. For He calls all people to Him, that all may hear the Good News, be healed of any form of blindness, and restored to the lighted path of God’s righteousness.
In the first reading, Jeremiah, a prophet who had profound faith in God, announces a message that must have been hard for the Jews of that time to accept. After the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon of the surviving population, the Jews must have felt despondent of hope, believing that God had abandoned them and doubting His love for them. But Jeremiah prophesied God’s promise: “I will console them and guide them, I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble,” (Jer. 31:9b). This is a hope-filled message that God continues to speak into our hearts today, despite the trials and challenges that face us daily, like persistent rain that darkens our view and keeps the sun from shining through. However, like the blind Bartimaeus, we need only to trust and believe that God will never abandon His people. Then, we can declare in praise: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad indeed,”(Ps 126:3).
Prayer:
Lord, my one desire is to be with You forever. But I cannot do it alone, because I recognize areas in myself that remain blind and even deaf to the cries of the poor around me. Forgive my failures, and grant me the grace to be like Bartimaeus, so that, filled with faith and trust in You, nothing may stand in the way of my following You, and that I may be an encourager and minister of Your love, rather than an obstacle that keeps others from following you. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do I help others ‘see’ the Kingdom of God? How?
2. Share an experience of healing, either as a recipient or giver of God’s mercy and healing love. How did it make you feel?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
October 25, 2015 (Sun) Jer 31:7-9/Ps 126:1-2,2-3,4-5,6/Heb 5:1-6/Mk 10:46-52
October 26, 2015 (Mon) Rom 8:12-17/Ps 68:2,4,20-21/Lk 13:10-17
October 27, 2015 (Tue) Rom 8:18-25/Ps 126:1-2,2-3,4-5,6/Lk 13:18-21
October 28, 2015 (Wed) Eph 2:19-22/Ps 19:2-3,4-5/Lk 6:12-16
October 29, 2015 (Thu) Rom 8:31-39/Ps 109:21-22,26-27,30-31/Lk 13:31-35
October 30, 2015 (Fri) Rom 9:1-5/Ps 147:12-13,14-15,19-20/Lk 14:1-6
October 31, 2015 (Sat) Rom 11:1-2,25-29/Ps 94:12-13,14-15,17-18/Lk 14:1,7,11
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
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