Sunday’s Readings Jeremiah 31:7-9; PS 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52
From the Pastor’s Desk… Blindness
The Gospel of St. Mark does not only describe a great miracle, but it also preaches a catechesis that invites us to change and to be converted. When the Teacher calls him, he throws aside his cloak, jumps up and runs toward Him. His obscure eyes are opened and they remain illuminated so that the first thing that he sees – is the Master’s face. Bartimaeus’s shout of joy is directed to the heart of Christ, who stops short and calls him. The answer to his request thunders forth. For the illuminating light hits the tired eyes of Bartholomew. Then a torrent of color invades his eyes. Wonderfully, his first and most profound gaze was that of the Rabbi, who had altogether answered his desires.
This episode helps us to understand the formation of one’s journey of faith – of one who is in search “to see His face”. Yet, how many of us become fatigued in opening our eyes! How many scales have to fall off our eyelids! There are so many distractions on earth that disfigure what really elevates us to God. Up there in Heaven, when all the veils fall, we will be able to see God as He is! There are obligatory phases on this road of faith: First, we must be conscious of our own blindness – that impedes us to open our eyes to the light; secondly, we must be thirsty to have this light. “Lord, make me see”. There must be an ardent need that awakes in us – a desire to discover the Truth. “That I may seek your face” says the psalmist.
It is possible to find God in all the things. The presence of God fills all: events, human encounters, and all elements of nature. Doesn’t this occur to us during Holy Mass? When we listen to the reading of the Gospel, it is Christ that speaks; when we see two hands break the bread, they are His hands. When we see the bread, we know that it is not bread; for beyond the veil, we encounter the resurrected Christ. The light of faith illuminates and gives meaning to man’s life, because it puts clarity in our origin, from where we do come, in our death here, and in our true eternal destiny. I am referring to every day life, to what one should do in each moment, to the just road that one should undertake.
Like the blind one, we must also ask for the gift of light, throw away the cloak of our imperfections, and then run toward Jesus. To recover the correct view of one’s soul, will enable us to discover the tears of the ones that do suffer, so that we may console them; it will allow us to conduct torrents of water to those that are dying of thirst; and to offer our shoulder to those that limp and fall. Our world today is in urgent need of many guides for the blind. Ask Our Lord to send us many helpers and to send us holy priests that will accompany us when we are blind, and who will help us to open our eyes to see with the new light of faith.
God bless you, Fr. Oscar
