Reading 1
Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.
Gospel
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
Reflection
Bartimaeus’ behavior as he seeks and receives healing in today’s Gospel is an example to us of living the faithful Christian life. Though he is suffering, Bartimaeus listens carefully for the Good News. Mark tells us: “On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out…” We too, though we may feel broken or blind, are invited to receive the Gospel message and to listen carefully for Jesus of Nazareth whenever He approaches.
Bartimaeus prays and begs the Lord for help, even amidst rebukes and opposition. We are called to imitate his persistence in our prayer and faith if we are to get to know Christ and be healed of our own spiritual blindness. We should be ready to “cast off our cloaks” and spring into action when we hear the call of the Lord. Like how Bartimaeus received his sight and immediately followed Jesus on the way, we can use all of God’s good gifts to build His Kingdom and strive towards Heaven.
Mark doesn’t tell us what happens to Bartimaeus after this scene, but we know that following Jesus “on the way” means following Jesus to the Cross. This story shows us that being close to the Cross is essential for truly “seeing” and knowing the Lord. Earlier in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus heals a different blind man, utilizing a multi-step process where the man’s vision is initially blurry and unclear. Now, as Jesus prepares to enter Jerusalem and undergo the self-sacrifice of Crucifixion, Christ heals Bartimaeus in a single moment. The difference in these two episodes symbolizes for us how truly “seeing” Jesus, and receiving fullest healing, requires closeness to the Cross, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Thus, like Bartimaeus, let us wait in readiness for the presence of God, respond to His call, beg for His help, and utilize His gifts to be the best Christians we can be—following Jesus to the Cross. For it is only through death and resurrection, a total gift of self, that we can ever truly see God’s face and be the givers and receivers of love that Our Lord made us to be.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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