Daily Retreat 10/29/06
2006 Oct 29 SUN: THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Jer 34: 7-9/ Ps 125(126): 1-2. 2-3. 4-5. 6 (3)/ Heb 5: 1-6/ Mk 10: 46-52
From today’s readings: “I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble.... The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.... Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.... The blind man replied to Him, ‘Master, I want to see!’ ”
I Want to See!
Curiously, there’s something about the miracles of healing that makes many people tune out the Gospel message. Perhaps it’s just another of the bad effects of the modern secular mindset: while we can recognize and be inspired by the wisdom of the teachings of Jesus, when it comes to some of His actions, they seem too “unscientific” (or just completely outside our realm of experience) for modern belief.
To think of Jesus as just a teacher (even the greatest of teachers!) is to miss His essence as the Living Miracle, God made man! Jesus IS indeed the greatest of teachers, because He teaches even more with His actions than He does with His profound words.
Every miracle (indeed, every action!) of Jesus was done, not just for the good of the one favored with the miracle, but for the good of all the people that observed the miracle, or heard of it (even if they heard of it, as we do, 2000 years after it happened!).
What good does the miracle of the healing of blind Bartimaeus do for us? First of all, it teaches us a profoundly imperative prayer, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” We MUST call out to God for mercy and help, and like Bartimaeus, we must be persistent.
And, like Bartimaeus, we must dare to be specific. “I want to see!” Bartimaeus turns to Jesus with a specific need (but not a specific greed - it’s one thing to beg Jesus for essentials, it’s another to nag Him for luxuries!). We, too, should not hesitate to ask for healing of particular ailments, pains, worries, problems. Of course, it’s important that we remember everything else Jesus teaches us about asking in prayer, particularly, what is shown by His example words (the Lord’ prayer) and His example actions (during the Agony in the Garden) - to always submit our will to the will of God!
Jer 34: 7-9/ Ps 125(126): 1-2. 2-3. 4-5. 6 (3)/ Heb 5: 1-6/ Mk 10: 46-52
From today’s readings: “I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble.... The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.... Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.... The blind man replied to Him, ‘Master, I want to see!’ ”
I Want to See!
Curiously, there’s something about the miracles of healing that makes many people tune out the Gospel message. Perhaps it’s just another of the bad effects of the modern secular mindset: while we can recognize and be inspired by the wisdom of the teachings of Jesus, when it comes to some of His actions, they seem too “unscientific” (or just completely outside our realm of experience) for modern belief.
To think of Jesus as just a teacher (even the greatest of teachers!) is to miss His essence as the Living Miracle, God made man! Jesus IS indeed the greatest of teachers, because He teaches even more with His actions than He does with His profound words.
Every miracle (indeed, every action!) of Jesus was done, not just for the good of the one favored with the miracle, but for the good of all the people that observed the miracle, or heard of it (even if they heard of it, as we do, 2000 years after it happened!).
What good does the miracle of the healing of blind Bartimaeus do for us? First of all, it teaches us a profoundly imperative prayer, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” We MUST call out to God for mercy and help, and like Bartimaeus, we must be persistent.
And, like Bartimaeus, we must dare to be specific. “I want to see!” Bartimaeus turns to Jesus with a specific need (but not a specific greed - it’s one thing to beg Jesus for essentials, it’s another to nag Him for luxuries!). We, too, should not hesitate to ask for healing of particular ailments, pains, worries, problems. Of course, it’s important that we remember everything else Jesus teaches us about asking in prayer, particularly, what is shown by His example words (the Lord’ prayer) and His example actions (during the Agony in the Garden) - to always submit our will to the will of God!
posted by FrPitstick | 10/25/2006
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