JESUS THE COMPASSIONATE LORD
First Reading : Jeremiah 31: 7 to 9
Second Reading: Hebrews 5: 1 to 6
Gospel Reading: Mark 10: 46 to 52
*First reading is from the book of Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah gives a message of hope for the people of Israel. He foretells the return of the Lord God's people from exile in Babylon. He gives the assurance that the Lord God will lead them back to their promised land and eventually restore its lost glory.
*Second reading is from the letter to the Hebrews. In Jesus Christ we have a compassionate and merciful high priest who is able to deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward. He is able to understand all our weaknesses and failures. He offers up our gifts and sacrifices to God on our behalf.
Jesus heals Bartimaeus, the blind beggar Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. A detailed narration of the dramatic healing of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar from Jericho, is given. The narrative is like a one-act play with seven scenes - rather seven verses. In the first verse, Jesus and His disciples are leaving Jericho on His final journey to Jerusalem. In the second verse, Bartimaeus hears that Jesus of Nazareth, the divine healer, is passing by the street. Realizing that this is a chance of a life-time, he cries aloud: "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me." It is the cry of a very desperate man for urgent help. In the third verse, people of the town rebuke him and tell him to keep quiet. But Bartimaeus shouts all the more louder that Jesus may hear his plea. In our moments of deep despair, when we cry aloud to God, He invariably hears our cry. In the fourth verse, Jesus stops and calls for Bartimaeus. Jesus wants us too to stop and help those who are sitting at the wayside of life, looking for help. In the fifth verse, Bartimaeus immediately responds to Jesus' call with great enthusiasm. But in our case, often we are lethargic to respond to the call of the divine Master. In the sixth verse, Jesus asks a key question to the blind man: "What do you want me to do for you?" Bartimaeus immediately responds with total faith: "Lord, let me see." Finally in the seventh verse, Jesus heals Him and commends his exemplary faith. Bartimaeus, realizing that he is healed, praises God and follows Jesus. This miracle story has some deep insights and spiritual messages for our lives. It is a very powerful example of how we should make use of our opportunities, grasp them and take hold of them until we receive what we need from God. As Bartimaeus had an irresistible desire to be healed, we too need such determination in our lives. This miracle story should help us in the following ways: 1. To be persistent in our requests to God. 2. To have faith that God will grant our requests. 3. A desire to express our gratitude to God when He answers our prayers. It is said that the blind see more than those who have sight. This is not a contradiction. There are more ways of seeing than through our eyes. Bartimaeus was born blind and he could not see Jesus. Yet, he had more faith in Jesus than many who saw Jesus physically in Jericho. The fact that we have two good eyes does not mean that we see what is important in life. Through this miracle, first of all, Jesus is inviting us to do what he did for Bartimaeus: Not to pass by the lonely and the abandoned persons who are on the wayside of their lives. He is inviting us to bring light into the lives of such unfortunate persons by our care, love and compassion. Secondly, Lord Jesus is stopping by and inviting us to Himself, He is ready to restore our lost vision and hopes and grant His heavenly healing touch. May the good and compassionate Lord bring light into the hearts of everyone of you and bring wholeness to your lives. Amen.
(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph" on Google search. Thanks.)
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