Cycle B - Year II:  

28 October 2018: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time  

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Jeremiah 31:7-9

Second Reading:   Hebrews 5:1-6

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 10:46-52

"Master, I want to see."

 The first joy as we wake up in the morning is to see the light of a new day. For the gift of light allows us to behold the beauty and greatness of God's creation.

But what would it be if one day everything around us were dark and gloomy, no electricity and no natural light? The answer seems obvious' it would be the end of the world for most of us, or all of us. And so we need to appreciate more the gift of sight, good health, and life's many blessings.

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is an eye opener for many of God's blessings that sometimes we take for granted because they seem ordinary and routine already.

The story goes that a blind and destitute man, by the name of Bartimaeus, sat by the

roadside of Jericho, begging for a living. He heard from the noisy crowd following Jesus that our Lord was passing by where he is. Bartimaeus was determined to get near Jesus, for he knew who Jesus was and had heard of His fame for healing. But being blind it took a lot of "guts" and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of our Lord Jesus.

It paid off in the end, as Jesus took notice and said to Bartimaeus: "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately, Bartimaeus received his sight and so he followed our Lord.

This incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. In the case of Bartimaeus, for example, Jesus was ready to emphatize with his suffering and also to relieve it as well. Jesus commends Bartimaeus for recognizing who He is with the "eyes of faith" and so grants the blind man his physical sight. Faith in Jesus our Lord is the force that transforms his person.

In practical life, when we are sincere and persistent with our prayer requests, the Lord will grant them. For God always answers our prayers, not always in the way and timing we petition Him but in God's proper time and according to what is best for us. And prayer is the fuel which keeps living faith alive and keeps also our eyes open to see God's mysterious ways.

The other point in our reflection is the healing of Bartimeaus' blindness itself. So we ask ourselves, what is really worse, physical blindness, or moral and spiritual blindness? There is moral and spiritual blindness when sin clouds the mind in darkness and closes our heart to God's love and truth, for example, when we deliberately choose to disobey God's laws over material wealth and pleasure.

But the Good News is that our Lord Jesus Christ is real to heal us and free us from the darkness of sin and deception by the evil one through our sincere repentance. For only in the light of God's truth can we see sin for what it really is, a rejection of God and opposition to His will.

In sum, do we recognize our need for God's healing grace? Do we seek our Lord Jesus Christ, like Bartimaeus, with persistent faith and trust in His goodness and mercy?

It is also Prison Awareness Sunday. Let us support the Church's prison apostolate and include in our prayers all prisoners that they go back to the right path. 

In the Eucharist at Mass, let us pray: "Master, I want to see." May I always be aware of my need for Your healing grace. Help me to take advantage of the opportunities You give me and seek Your presence daily and listen attentively to Your healing word. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!