30TH
SUNDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2021: JER 31. 7-9; HEB 5. 1-6; MARK 10. 46-52
Focus: When we are weighed down by the burden of
difficulties, let us not lose heart. Let us turn to Jesus. Let us trust in His
compassion. Let us cry out to him. And we will surely experience his relieving
intervention.
1. Today the Word of God invites us to
focus on blindness, especially in the light of the healing of a blind man in
the gospel. The scene is dramatic. There is a blind beggar. He cries out to
Jesus to have mercy on him. The annoyed and irritated people chide him and try
to quieten him. But he continues to shout aloud. Jesus calls for him and asks
him, “What do you want me to do for you?”. He replies, “Master, let me receive
my sight”. Jesus says, “Go your way; your faith has made you well”. Immediately
he received his sight.
2. Some simple details are notable. The
blind man is a beggar. He is reduced to beggary. This shows the loss of human
dignity and also his condition of dependence on others’ mercy. Thus, blindness
is not merely a matter of physical deformity. It is more pervasive affecting
the whole person. And the blind man is aware of his need. He needs sight, not
only the physical. He needs the ability to see his own lost dignity, lost
beauty of life, and the lost joy of relationships.
3. He is clear about what he wants.
Jesus too wants us to be clear of what we really want. That is why, Jesus asks
him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And he rightly replies, “I want to
see”. Sight is his priority and nothing else because he knows that with the
regaining of sight, he will regain all that has been lost.
4. That is why he starts crying out
aloud. He would persist despite people’s rebuke. He would catch the attention
of the master. He was determined to stop the master’s mercy on the roadside.
And when Jesus called for him, he was already sure of the Lord’s healing. He
would no longer feel the need for his mantle. He would no longer need to sit on
the roadside. He would no longer need to beg. That is why, symbolizing the
change to come, he throws off his mantle. He springs up from the ground. He
hastens to Jesus. His faith wins the master’s favor!
5. At this point, we can note that this
physical blindness is more symbolic. It indicates wider and more pervasive
blindness. What Jesus heals is not merely physical blindness. His healing is a
restoration of the holistic sight. Sin causes different layers of blindness.
Sin makes us blind toward God, toward others, toward our own self, toward life,
toward society, and toward the whole creation.
6. The question of Jesus is very valid:
“What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man knew what he lacked and what
he needed. Do we know what we want? Do we realize what we lack? Do we realize
that we are blind in very many ways and that we fail to see very many things?
7. How often we are blind toward God,
failing to see His love, His will, His holy plans? How often we are blind
toward others, failing to see them as our brothers and sisters, as our fellow
travelers, who have their own good and also struggles? How often we are blind
toward our own self, failing to see us as we are, with our merits and demerits
as well? How much do we fail to see our true image in the likeness of God, and
also the false sheathes that are covering heavily this deeper image? How much
do we fail to see life as a blend of the pleasant and the unpleasant, good and
bad? How often do we fail to see the true nature of life as transient on earth
and destined toward eternity? How much do we fail to see our duty toward
society and also its role in our life? How often do we fail to see our moral
obligations as social persons? And how much do we also fail to see the whole
creation as a handiwork of God and thus nurture a sense of steward and care
toward it instead of manipulating and destroying it?
Direction: All of us are blind in different ways. We must
realize and accept it in sincerity. We must in faith run to the Lord for sight.
But once healed, we must walk the Lord’s way and not our own way. This is
really to be in tune with the promise of God in Jeremiah 31. 8-9: I will make
the blind and lame walk in a straight path in which they shall not stumble.
(REFLECTION FROM 2020)
Focus: God is within us and amidst
us, He is before us and beyond us. He remains hidden and invisible but His
power and love are made manifest in numberless ways. Blessed is he who is able
to see!
Blindness is a great loss. Only the
one who is blind can really know how terrible it is. It is true that many of us
feel so much pity for blind people. We feel sad that they are missing so much,
that they miss the colors, the beauty of life and persons. We may also wonder
how they can accept such deprivation and live happily. Such human emotion is
good toward others. But do we realize and appreciate how blessed we are to have
sight, to be able to see! Do we also act responsibly on what we see? Do we have
a sense of discretion regarding what to see and what not to see?
Jesus in the gospel heals a blind
man by the name Bartimaeus. This blind man can teach us simple but useful
lessons for our life. His blindness reduces him to beggary, sitting by the
roadside. He hears of Jesus’ coming. He does not want to miss the chance of
healing. He cries out pleading Jesus to have mercy on him. The rebuke of the
annoyed people to keep quiet does not silence his voice nor quieten his desire
for healing. He persists all the more in his cry for help. His perseverance
catches the attention of the Master and wins his mercy. He is called by Jesus.
When told that he was called by the Master, we can note some notable actions on
his part. He throws off his mantle. He springs up. He comes to Jesus. Already
the very call by the Lord itself ensures him of the recovery of his sight. He
no longer feels the need for his mantle. He needs no more to sit, stuck to the
ground. That is why he springs up and moves to Jesus. Here too, at the
encounter with Jesus, he is quite clear about what he needs. Asked by Jesus,
‘what do you want me to do for you?’ he is prompt to answer, “Master, let me
receive my sight”. His faith is rewarded. Jesus heals him saying “Your faith
has made you well. Go your way”. He is no longer blind. He is able to see and
walk the way. His sight is not only physical. His sight is whole and holistic.
He is able to see the Lord. That is why, instead of going his way, he follows
Jesus on his way.
Direction: Much more than the
exterior, physical sight, today we are invited to shift our attention on to our
interior sight. To be empathetic toward the blind is good, but let us recognize
our own blindness toward God and toward others. Failing in faith is spiritual
blindness; failing in fraternal perspective and goodness is fraternal
blindness; failing in moral values is moral blindness
(REFLECTION
FROM 2019)
Focus: Awareness and admission of blindness is the primary
step in the recovery of sight
In the gospel, Jesus restores sight to a blind man. In this
miracle, what is striking is the depth and persistence of his desire to receive
sight. He is already aware of Jesus' power and mercy. He waits for the right
occasion and jumps upon the first opportunity. He does not feel annoyed or
discouraged by the people's scolding and preventing him. He does not give up
his desire. He realizes his need and also dependence on Jesus. He shouts out
for Jesus' mercy. He encounters Jesus and explicates his desire and need.
Accordingly, Jesus rewards his faith by granting sight to him. Jesus is always
ready and willing to heal us. But for this healing, in the first place, what
Jesus wants from us is to realize our own blindness, and to deeply desire to be
cured of it. This is what he implies in his question to the blind man, “What do
you want me to do for you?”. This is not a question of ignorance of the need of
the blind man. Surely, Jesus knows very well what the blind man needs. What can
a blind man ask for, if not the sight? But what Jesus wants from us, is that we
sincerely realize what we lack and deeply feel what we need.
All of us are blind because often we fail to see clearly
what we essentially lack and need. Wrongly, many see only shallow lacks and
needs, and not the deep and essential. This real blindness is explained in the
first reading from Revelation. It is the “loss of the first love”. It is being
blind to the first love with God. It is the loss of the original fidelity and
passion. It is the lack of enthusiasm of faith.
Direction: One cannot be restored sight so long as one
pretends not to be blind. Many think that they are clear-sighted and
far-sighted, and that is why they continue to be blindfolded and stumbling.
No comments:
Post a Comment