Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 497
Lectionary: 497
[From the
descendants of Alexander’s officers]
there sprang a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes,
son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome.
He became king in the year one hundred and thirty seven
of the kingdom of the Greeks.
In those days there appeared in Israel
men who were breakers of the law,
and they seduced many people, saying:
“Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.”
The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.
Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem
according to the Gentile custom.
They covered over the mark of their circumcision
and abandoned the holy covenant;
they allied themselves with the Gentiles
and sold themselves to wrongdoing.
Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,
each abandoning his particular customs.
All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,
and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion;
they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.
On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-five,
the king erected the horrible abomination
upon the altar of burnt offerings
and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars.
They also burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets.
Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt.
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.
there sprang a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes,
son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome.
He became king in the year one hundred and thirty seven
of the kingdom of the Greeks.
In those days there appeared in Israel
men who were breakers of the law,
and they seduced many people, saying:
“Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.”
The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.
Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem
according to the Gentile custom.
They covered over the mark of their circumcision
and abandoned the holy covenant;
they allied themselves with the Gentiles
and sold themselves to wrongdoing.
Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,
each abandoning his particular customs.
All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,
and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion;
they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.
On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-five,
the king erected the horrible abomination
upon the altar of burnt offerings
and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars.
They also burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets.
Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt.
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.
Responsorial PsalmPS 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158
R. (see 88) Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your
commands.
Indignation seizes me because of the wicked
who forsake your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Redeem me from the oppression of men,
that I may keep your precepts.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I am attacked by malicious persecutors
who are far from your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I beheld the apostates with loathing,
because they kept not to your promise.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Indignation seizes me because of the wicked
who forsake your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Redeem me from the oppression of men,
that I may keep your precepts.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I am attacked by malicious persecutors
who are far from your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I beheld the apostates with loathing,
because they kept not to your promise.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
GospelLK 18:35-43
As Jesus approached
Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
Meditation: "What
do you want me to do for you?"
Have you
ever encountered a special moment of grace, a once in a life-time opportunity
you knew you could not pass up? Such a moment came for a blind and destitute
man who heard that Jesus was passing by. The Gospel of Mark identifies this man
as Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). This blind man was determined to get near the
one person who could meet his need. He knew who Jesus was and had heard of his
fame for healing, but until now had no means of making contact with the Son
of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah. It took raw courage
and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the din of a
noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he made his way out of town. Why was
the crowd annoyed with the blind man's persistent shouts? He was disturbing
their peace and interrupting their conversation with Jesus. It was common for a
rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the
Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried
to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his loud emotional outburst
and thus caught the attention of Jesus.
This
incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. The blind
man was determined to get Jesus' attention and he was persistent in the face of
opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him because he was
interrupting his talk and disturbing his audience. Jesus showed that acting was
more important than talking. This man was in desparate need and Jesus was ready
not only to empathize with his suffering but to relieve it as well. A great
speaker can command attention and respect, but a man or woman with a helping
hand and a big heart is loved more. Jesus commends Bartimaeus for recognizing
who he is with the eyes of faith and grants him physical sight as
well. Do you recognize your need for God's healing grace and do you seek Jesus
out, like Bartimaeus, with persistent faith and trust in his goodness and
mercy?
Bartimaeus
was not only grateful for the gift of faith and the gift of physical sight, but
for the opportunity to now follow Jesus as one of his disciples. Luke tells us
us that he immediately followed Jesus and gave glory to God. The crowd also
gave praise to God when they saw this double miracle of spiritual and physical
vision. Clement of Alexandria, a 4th century church father, comments on this
double vision:
Now that he was delivered from his blindness, did he neglect the
duty of loving Christ? He certainly did not. It says, “He followed him,
offering him glory like to God.” He was set free from double blindness. Not
only did he escape from the blindness of the body but also from that of the
mind and heart. He would not have glorified him as God, had he not possessed
spiritual vision. He became the means of others giving Christ glory, for it
says that all the people gave glory to God.(Commentary
on Luke, Homily 126)
Do you give glory to God for giving you the
eyes of faith to recognize him as your Lord and Healer?
"Lord
Jesus, open the eyes of my heart and mind that I may see and understand the
truth and goodness of your word. May I never fail to recognize your presence
with me and to call upon your saving grace in my time of need and
healing."
 Seeing with Faith |
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Monday of the
Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
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Father John Doyle,
LC
Luke 18:35-43
Now as Jesus approached Jericho a blind man
was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he
inquired what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is
passing by." He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on
me!" The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on
me!" Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when
he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied, "Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have
sight; your faith has saved you." He immediately received his sight and
followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave
praise to God.
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Alpha and the Omega.
You have given me life and offer me eternal life with you. You deserve my
honor, gratitude and love, and yet you never impose yourself upon me. Thank
you for respecting my freedom so that I can offer myself to you. All that I
have is yours; I return it to you.
Petition: Lord, grant me greater faith in your
constant and continual presence in my life.
1. Begging by the Roadside: How many times in life have we felt like
this blind beggar sitting by the roadside, down-and-out and hard on luck –
physically, spiritually or emotionally? Witnessing our distress, some people
simply walked by without a care. Maybe they tossed us a coin, though they
didn’t really help us out of our discouragement or difficulty. Others might
have jeered at us or not dared to look at us. Some may even have scolded us,
like the people in the Gospel telling the beggar “to be silent.” Just as the
blind beggar of today’s Gospel could not give himself what he most desired –
sight, we are unable to give ourselves what we most need – faith. Do I
regularly ask for an increase of faith? Am I aware of how much I need a
strong faith?
2. Jesus Is Passing By: The book of Job tells us that “human beings
have a hard service on earth” (Job 7:1). It shouldn’t be surprising, then,
when in our lives as Christians we take some real blows and even some falls.
God doesn’t want us to become discouraged. He wants us to see these as
opportunities to turn to him, the source of the strength and help we need.
Other voices will tell us to be quiet and not bother the Master: “After all,
you just need to work things out”, “With so much going on, how can you find
time to pray?” Jesus constantly passes by. He is the only one who can bring
me the peace my heart desires and longs for. “Jesus, Son of David, have pity
on me!”
3. Lord, Please Let Me See: Jesus promises us that he will listen to our
request, just as he did to the blind man. But what should our request be? To
have a more comfortable stool so as to sit by the road and beg with ease? To
have a beautiful silver cup to collect coins in? Or to see? Often what we
really need is not what we ask for in prayer. We need the vision that only
the supernatural virtue of faith can give. We need the ability to see
everything from God’s vantage point and to see how the difficulties and
trials we experience are part of a bigger picture. We need to have the firm
assurance of the final victory of the Lamb, Jesus, and the strength to
persevere in fidelity. Lord, please let me see… Please increase my faith.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, allow me to praise and glorify
you for your constant companionship and for never leaving me alone in my
struggles and trials. Increase my faith so that I will be able to experience
your love even amidst difficulty and trials.
Resolution: I will pray three “Our Fathers” for an
increase of faith among my family members.
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, LUKE 18:35-43
(1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63; Psalm 119)
(1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "Have sight; your faith has saved you" (v 42).
READING: Jesus took the Twelve aside to prepare them for his eventual death in Jerusalem, but they understood nothing of what he said (Lk 18:31-34). Then Jesus and his disciples approached the city gates of Jericho, twenty-four miles northeast of Jerusalem, where beggars appealed to travelers for alms. When a blind man ("Bartimaeus" in Mark 10:46) heard that Jesus was passing by, he called out, addressing him as the "Son of David." This was the Messianic title that promised salvation would come through the "house of David" (Lk 1:69). Though the crowds tried to silence the blind man, he pleaded all the more for his sight to be restored. Jesus recognized the deep faith of this man who saw more clearly than the sighted who were spiritually blind. When the man's eyesight was restored, he gave God the glory and followed Jesus as a disciple. This miracle caused many others to give praise to God.
REFLECTING: How can I help others "see" the Lord?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to recognize my own blind spots.
November 18, Optional Memorial of the
Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul
The Basilica of St. Peter, in which the most important
ceremonies of the Catholic Church are celebrated, stands on the site of a much
smaller basilica erected in the years 324-349 by will of the Roman emperor
Constantine to honor the tomb of the first Pope, the apostle Peter. The first
stone of the new church was laid in 1506 by Pope Julius II. The four colossal
columns and the connecting arches on which the dome rests, aligned with the
saint's tomb, was the work of Donato Bramante, the inspiration behind the
initial project of the "new St. Peter's." After Bramante's death in
1514, the commission was entrusted to some of the greatest architects and
artists of the time (Giuliano da Santagallo Fra Giocondo, Raphael, Baldassarre
Peruzzi, Antonio da Santagallo and Michelangelo). The latter was responsible
for the apse, the transept and the dome, and the frescos on the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel.
November 18, Optional Memorial of Rose
Philippine Duchesne, virgin
Rose
Perier, was born in Grenoble, France, in 1769. She joined the Visitation nuns
in Grenoble at age 19. Religious communities were outlawed during the Reign of
Terror of the French Revolution, and her convent was closed in 1792. She spent
the next ten years living as a laywoman. She established a school for poor
children, provided care for the sick, and hid priests from Revolutionaries.
When the Terror ended, she reclaimed her convent and tried to reestablish it.
However, most of her community were long gone, and in 1804 the group was
incorporated into the Society of the Sacred Heart nuns. Rose became a postulant
and made her final vows in 1805. At age 49 she and four sisters were sent as
missionaries to the Louisiana Territory to establish the Society's presence in
America. She established her first mission at Saint Charles, Missouri, and
eventually six other houses in America which included schools and orphanages.
She was ever concerned about the plight of Native Americans, and at
age 71, Mother Duchesne evangelized the Pottowatomies, and taught
young girls of the tribe. She was known to the tribe as
"Woman-Who-Prays-Always." She spent her last ten years in retirement
in a tiny shack at the convent in Saint Charles, Missouri where she lived
austerely and in constant prayer.
Give me life, O Lord, and I will do
your commands.
That is the question that Jesus asks of us today. What needs healing in my life? Is there a blind spot that I would like Jesus to heal? Is there a darkness limiting my vision of life? Jesus is waiting for us to ask for healing and life and light. As we know, transformation takes time, but that doesn’t mean that transformation isn’t real. It begins when we approach Jesus and say, ‘Heal me. Let me see again.’ Let us hear this gospel in hope, trusting that Jesus desires us to see life itself, and one another, in new and loving ways.
November 18
Dedication of Churches of Sts. Peter and Paul
Dedication of Churches of Sts. Peter and Paul
St. Peter’s is probably the most famous church in Christendom.
Massive in scale and a veritable museum of art and architecture, it began on a
much humbler scale. Vatican Hill was a simple cemetery where believers gathered
at St. Peter’s tomb to pray. In 319 Constantine built on the site a basilica
that stood for more than a thousand years until, despite numerous restorations,
it threatened to collapse. In 1506 Pope Julius II ordered it razed and
reconstructed, but the new basilica was not completed and dedicated for more
than two centuries.
St.
Paul’s Outside the Walls stands near the Abaazia delle Tre Fontane, where St.
Paul is believed to have been beheaded. The largest church in Rome until St.
Peter’s was rebuilt, the basilica also rises over the traditional site of its
namesake’s grave. The most recent edifice was constructed after a fire in 1823.
The first basilica was also Constantine’s doing.
Constantine’s
building projects enticed the first of a centuries-long parade of pilgrims to
Rome. From the time the basilicas were first built until the empire crumbled
under “barbarian” invasions, the two churches, although miles apart, were
linked by a roofed colonnade of marble columns.
Comment:
Peter, the rough fisherman whom Jesus named the rock on which the Church is built, and the educated Paul, reformed persecutor of Christians, Roman citizen and missionary to the Gentiles, are the original odd couple. The major similarity in their faith-journeys is the journey’s end: Both, according to tradition, died a martyr’s death in Rome—Peter on a cross and Paul beneath the sword. Their combined gifts shaped the early Church and believers have prayed at their tombs from the earliest days.
Peter, the rough fisherman whom Jesus named the rock on which the Church is built, and the educated Paul, reformed persecutor of Christians, Roman citizen and missionary to the Gentiles, are the original odd couple. The major similarity in their faith-journeys is the journey’s end: Both, according to tradition, died a martyr’s death in Rome—Peter on a cross and Paul beneath the sword. Their combined gifts shaped the early Church and believers have prayed at their tombs from the earliest days.
Quote:
“It is extraordinarily interesting that Roman pilgrimage began at an…early time. Pilgrims did not wait for the Peace of the Church [Constantine’s edict of toleration] before they visited the tombs of the Apostles. They went to Rome a century before there were any public churches and when the Church was confined to the tituli [private homes] and the catacombs. The two great pilgrimage sites were exactly as today—the tombs, or memorials, of St. Peter upon the Vatican Hill and the tomb of St. Paul off the Ostian Way” (H.V. Morton, This Is Rome).
“It is extraordinarily interesting that Roman pilgrimage began at an…early time. Pilgrims did not wait for the Peace of the Church [Constantine’s edict of toleration] before they visited the tombs of the Apostles. They went to Rome a century before there were any public churches and when the Church was confined to the tituli [private homes] and the catacombs. The two great pilgrimage sites were exactly as today—the tombs, or memorials, of St. Peter upon the Vatican Hill and the tomb of St. Paul off the Ostian Way” (H.V. Morton, This Is Rome).
November 18
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne
(1769-1852)
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne
(1769-1852)
Born in Grenoble, France, of a family that was among the new rich,
Philippine learned political skills from her father and a love of the poor from
her mother. The dominant feature of her temperament was a strong and dauntless
will, which became the material—and the battlefield—of her holiness. She
entered the convent at 19 and remained despite their opposition. As the French
Revolution broke, the convent was closed, and she began taking care of the poor
and sick, opened a school for homeless children and risked her life helping
priests in the underground.
When the
situation cooled, she personally rented her old convent, now a shambles, and
tried to revive its religious life. The spirit was gone, and soon there were
only four nuns left. They joined the infant Society of the Sacred Heart, whose
young superior, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, would be her lifelong friend. In a
short time Philippine was a superior and supervisor of the novitiate and a
school. But her ambition, since hearing tales of missionary work in Louisiana
as a little girl, was to go to America and work among the Indians. At 49, she
thought this would be her work. With four nuns, she spent 11 weeks at sea en
route to New Orleans, and seven weeks more on the Mississippi to St. Louis. She
then met one of the many disappointments of her life. The bishop had no place
for them to live and work among Native Americans. Instead, he sent her to what
she sadly called "the remotest village in the U.S.," St. Charles,
Missouri. With characteristic drive and courage, she founded the first free
school for girls west of the Mississippi.
It was a
mistake. Though she was as hardy as any of the pioneer women in the wagons rolling
west, cold and hunger drove them out—to Florissant, Missouri, where she founded
the first Catholic Indian school, adding others in the territory. "In her
first decade in America, Mother Duchesne suffered practically every hardship
the frontier had to offer, except the threat of Indian massacre—poor lodging,
shortages of food, drinking water, fuel and money, forest fires and blazing
chimneys, the vagaries of the Missouri climate, cramped living quarters and the
privation of all privacy, and the crude manners of children reared in rough
surroundings and with only the slightest training in courtesy" (Louise
Callan, R.S.C.J., Philippine Duchesne).
Finally,
at 72, in poor health and retired, she got her lifelong wish. A mission was
founded at Sugar Creek, Kansas, among the Potawatomi. She was taken along.
Though she could not learn their language, they soon named her
"Woman-Who-Prays-Always." While others taught, she prayed. Legend has
it that Native American children sneaked behind her as she knelt and sprinkled
bits of paper on her habit, and came back hours later to find them undisturbed.
She died in 1852 at the age of 83 and was canonized in 1988.
Comment:
Divine grace channeled her iron will and determination into humility and selflessness, and to a desire not to be made superior. Still, even saints can get involved in silly situations. In an argument with her over a minor change in the sanctuary, a priest threatened to remove her tabernacle. She patiently let herself be criticized by younger nuns for not being progressive enough. For 31 years, she hewed to the line of a dauntless love and an unshakable observance of her religious vows.
Divine grace channeled her iron will and determination into humility and selflessness, and to a desire not to be made superior. Still, even saints can get involved in silly situations. In an argument with her over a minor change in the sanctuary, a priest threatened to remove her tabernacle. She patiently let herself be criticized by younger nuns for not being progressive enough. For 31 years, she hewed to the line of a dauntless love and an unshakable observance of her religious vows.
Quote:
She once said: “We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for self.... The truest crosses are those we do not choose ourselves.... He who has Jesus has everything.”
She once said: “We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for self.... The truest crosses are those we do not choose ourselves.... He who has Jesus has everything.”
LECTIO: LUKE
18,35-43
Lectio:
Monday, November 18, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of all that is good,
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 18,35-43
Now it happened that as Jesus drew near to Jericho there was a
blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd
going past he asked what it was all about, and they told him that Jesus the
Nazarene was passing by. So he called out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have pity on
me.' The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only
shouted all the louder, 'Son of David, have pity on me.'
Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Sir,' he replied, 'let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.'
And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God.
Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Sir,' he replied, 'let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.'
And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today describes the arrival of Jesus to Jericho. It
is the last stop before going up to Jerusalem, where the “Exodus” of Jesus will
take place, according to what he announced in his Transfiguration (Lk 9, 31)
and along the way up to Jerusalem (Lk 9, 44; 18, 31-33).
• Luke 18, 35-37: The blind man sitting on the side of the road. “Now it happened that as Jesus drew near to Jericho, there was a blind man sitting on the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about. They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by”. In the Gospel of Mark, the blind man is called Bartimaeus (Mk 10, 46). Since he was blind, he could not participate in the procession which accompanied Jesus. At that time, there were many blind people in Palestine, because the strong sun which hit the whitened rocky earth hurt the eyes which were not protected.
• Luke 18, 38-39: The cry of the blind man and the reaction of the people. “Then he began to cry out: Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” He calls Jesus using the title “Son of David”. The catechism of that time taught that the Messiah would be of the descent of David, “Son of David”, a glorious Messiah. Jesus did not like this title. In quoting the Messianic Psalm, he asks himself: “How is it that the Messiah can be the son of David if even David calls him “My Lord?” (Lk 20, 41-44) The cry of the blind man bothers the people who accompany Jesus. Because of this, “The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet. They tried to stop him but he only shouted all the louder, Son of David have pity on me!” Even up to our time the cry of the poor bothers the established society: migrants, beggars, refugees, sick with AIDS, and so many!
• Luke 18, 40-41: The reaction of Jesus before the cry of the blind man. And what does Jesus do? “Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him”. Those who wanted to stop the blind man from shouting because this bothered them, now asked by Jesus, are obliged to help the poor man to get to Jesus. The Gospel of Mark adds that the blind man left everything and went to Jesus. He did not have too much; only his mantle. That is what he possessed to cover his body (cf. Es 22, 25-26). That was his security! That was his land! Today, also, Jesus listens to the cry of the poor which, we, many times do not want to hear. “When he came up to Jesus, he asked him: What do you want me to do for you?” It is not sufficient to shout or cry out, it is necessary to know why he is shouting! The blind man answers: “Lord that I may see again”.
• Luke 18, 42-43: Go! Your faith has saved you! “And Jesus says: Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you“. Immediately he recovered his sight and began to follow Jesus praising God. And all the people, when they saw that, praised God.” The blind man had called Jesus with an idea which was not totally correct, because the title “Son of David” was not completely correct. But he had greater faith in Jesus than in his ideas about Jesus. He did not demand anything like Peter did (Mk 8, 32-33). He knew how to give his life accepting Jesus without imposing any conditions. Healing is the fruit of his faith in Jesus. Once he was cured, he follows Jesus and walks along with Him toward Jerusalem. In this way he becomes a model disciple for all of us who want “to follow Jesus along the road” toward Jerusalem: to believe more in Jesus and not so much in our ideas about Jesus! In this decision to walk with Jesus is found the source of courage and the seed of the victory on the cross. Because the cross is not something fatal, but it is an experience of God. It is the consequence of the commitment of Jesus, in obedience to the Father, to serve the brothers and not to accept privileges!
• Faith is a force which transforms the person. The Good News of the Kingdom announced by Jesus was a sort of fertilizer. It made the seed of life hidden in people to grow; that seed hidden like the fire under the ashes of observance without life. Jesus blew on the ashes and the fire lit up. The Kingdom appears and the people rejoice. The condition was always the same: to believe in Jesus. The cure of the blind man clarifies a very important aspect of our faith. Even calling Jesus with ideas which are not completely correct, the blind man had faith and he was cured. He was converted; he left everything behind and followed Jesus along the road toward Calvary! The full understanding of the following of Jesus is not obtained from a theoretical instruction, but rather from a practical commitment, walking together with Him along the way of service, from Galilee to Jerusalem. Anyone who insists in keeping the idea of Peter, that is, of the glorious Messiah without a cross, will understand nothing of Jesus and will not succeed in attaining the attitude of a true disciple of Jesus. Anyone who knows how to believe in Jesus and gives himself (Lk 9, 23-24), anyone who knows how to accept to be last (Lk 22, 26), who knows how to drink the chalice and to carry his/her own cross (Mt 20, 22; Mk 10, 38), this one, like the blind man, even not having ideas completely correct, will succeed “to follow Jesus along the way” (Lk 18, 43). In this certainty of walking together with Jesus is found the source of courage and the seed of victory on the cross.
• Luke 18, 35-37: The blind man sitting on the side of the road. “Now it happened that as Jesus drew near to Jericho, there was a blind man sitting on the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about. They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by”. In the Gospel of Mark, the blind man is called Bartimaeus (Mk 10, 46). Since he was blind, he could not participate in the procession which accompanied Jesus. At that time, there were many blind people in Palestine, because the strong sun which hit the whitened rocky earth hurt the eyes which were not protected.
• Luke 18, 38-39: The cry of the blind man and the reaction of the people. “Then he began to cry out: Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” He calls Jesus using the title “Son of David”. The catechism of that time taught that the Messiah would be of the descent of David, “Son of David”, a glorious Messiah. Jesus did not like this title. In quoting the Messianic Psalm, he asks himself: “How is it that the Messiah can be the son of David if even David calls him “My Lord?” (Lk 20, 41-44) The cry of the blind man bothers the people who accompany Jesus. Because of this, “The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet. They tried to stop him but he only shouted all the louder, Son of David have pity on me!” Even up to our time the cry of the poor bothers the established society: migrants, beggars, refugees, sick with AIDS, and so many!
• Luke 18, 40-41: The reaction of Jesus before the cry of the blind man. And what does Jesus do? “Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him”. Those who wanted to stop the blind man from shouting because this bothered them, now asked by Jesus, are obliged to help the poor man to get to Jesus. The Gospel of Mark adds that the blind man left everything and went to Jesus. He did not have too much; only his mantle. That is what he possessed to cover his body (cf. Es 22, 25-26). That was his security! That was his land! Today, also, Jesus listens to the cry of the poor which, we, many times do not want to hear. “When he came up to Jesus, he asked him: What do you want me to do for you?” It is not sufficient to shout or cry out, it is necessary to know why he is shouting! The blind man answers: “Lord that I may see again”.
• Luke 18, 42-43: Go! Your faith has saved you! “And Jesus says: Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you“. Immediately he recovered his sight and began to follow Jesus praising God. And all the people, when they saw that, praised God.” The blind man had called Jesus with an idea which was not totally correct, because the title “Son of David” was not completely correct. But he had greater faith in Jesus than in his ideas about Jesus. He did not demand anything like Peter did (Mk 8, 32-33). He knew how to give his life accepting Jesus without imposing any conditions. Healing is the fruit of his faith in Jesus. Once he was cured, he follows Jesus and walks along with Him toward Jerusalem. In this way he becomes a model disciple for all of us who want “to follow Jesus along the road” toward Jerusalem: to believe more in Jesus and not so much in our ideas about Jesus! In this decision to walk with Jesus is found the source of courage and the seed of the victory on the cross. Because the cross is not something fatal, but it is an experience of God. It is the consequence of the commitment of Jesus, in obedience to the Father, to serve the brothers and not to accept privileges!
• Faith is a force which transforms the person. The Good News of the Kingdom announced by Jesus was a sort of fertilizer. It made the seed of life hidden in people to grow; that seed hidden like the fire under the ashes of observance without life. Jesus blew on the ashes and the fire lit up. The Kingdom appears and the people rejoice. The condition was always the same: to believe in Jesus. The cure of the blind man clarifies a very important aspect of our faith. Even calling Jesus with ideas which are not completely correct, the blind man had faith and he was cured. He was converted; he left everything behind and followed Jesus along the road toward Calvary! The full understanding of the following of Jesus is not obtained from a theoretical instruction, but rather from a practical commitment, walking together with Him along the way of service, from Galilee to Jerusalem. Anyone who insists in keeping the idea of Peter, that is, of the glorious Messiah without a cross, will understand nothing of Jesus and will not succeed in attaining the attitude of a true disciple of Jesus. Anyone who knows how to believe in Jesus and gives himself (Lk 9, 23-24), anyone who knows how to accept to be last (Lk 22, 26), who knows how to drink the chalice and to carry his/her own cross (Mt 20, 22; Mk 10, 38), this one, like the blind man, even not having ideas completely correct, will succeed “to follow Jesus along the way” (Lk 18, 43). In this certainty of walking together with Jesus is found the source of courage and the seed of victory on the cross.
4) Personal questions
• How do I see and hear the cry of the poor: migrants, Negroes,
sick of AIDS, beggars, refugees, and so many others?
• How is my faith: am I more fixed on my ideas about Jesus or on Jesus?
• How is my faith: am I more fixed on my ideas about Jesus or on Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
How blessed is anyone who rejects the advice of the wicked
and does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread,
nor a seat in company with cynics,
but who delights in the law of Yahweh
and murmurs his law day and night. (Ps 1,1-2)
and does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread,
nor a seat in company with cynics,
but who delights in the law of Yahweh
and murmurs his law day and night. (Ps 1,1-2)
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