Reflections
on Sunday Readings
|
|
|
What
Blindness
do I need
to
be Healed of?
(By Fr.
Stephen OMI)
|
My dear Parishioners,
today we are in Jericho with Bartimaeus who was begging by the
wayside. He repeatedly calls Jesus from afar saying "Jesus
Son of David have pity on me" which assures us that though
physically blind, he was able to see Jesus in his eyes of faith
as the Messiah.
He wanted Jesus to heal him. Thus Bartimaeus firmly believes Jesus
the Messiah has power to heal him. That is why threw aside his
cloak - the piece of cloth spread out to receive charity from
the passersby. He knew that he is no more going to be blind and
a new life is on his way.
What do you want me to do for you? Jesus's question advances the
dialogue and provides Bartimaeus with an occasion to profess his
faith in Jesus's power to heal, "Master, I want to see."
"Go your way; your faith has saved you." Faith is a
"sine qua non" condition for healing. Bartimaeus has
been a man of faith, essential to healing and he gains his sight.
The faith of the blind Bartimaeus in Jesus's messianic healing
power removes his blindness.
My dear friends, Jesus who opened the eyes of the blind beggar
of Jericho, poses before us an important question: 'What blindness
do I need to be healed of? So let us ask,
1. What is it that prevents me from seeing Jesus in me?
2. What is it that prevents me from seeing Jesus in others?
It is very important for me to see Jesus and His cross in me before
I see Him in others. It is easy for me to see the sins and weakness
in others, but do I see my own? Pope Saint John Paul 11 whose
feast we celebrated this week says that the biggest sin in the
world today is that people have lost the sense of sin. Let's ask
from ourselves that am I also a person who tries to justify my
own sins and gives reasons for committing them but vehemently
condemns the sins and mistakes of others?
Bartimaeus accepted his own blindness and shouted out to Jesus
for help to heal him. According to the belief at that time, he
knew that his physical blindness happened because of his sins
and his corrupt ways of life and that's why he shouted out to
Jesus to have mercy on him. None of us are physically blind of
course; but are we not spiritually blind to our own sins? Am I
aware of the weaknesses in me that often put me into temptations
to run away from God's love? Today we are invited by Bartimaeus
to overcome our own blindness and see the salvific power of Jesus
and His cross in our lives to become a true disciple to journey
with Him to New Jerusalem.
|