Reflection for October 24, 2021

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ( B )

Jeremiah 31:7-9 | Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 | Hebrews 5:1-6 | Mark 10:46-52

​There's something indescribably sweet about the readings for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our Lord encourages us to be bearers of hope in the midst of loss and suffering, to fly to him, our high priest, in our time of need, and to not be paralyzed in fear and just be contented with our blindness. 

Do you know what each color in the rainbow means? This is what I taught Jill, my daughter when she was preparing for First Holy Communion: Red represents the blood Jesus shed for us. Yellow is for God’s perfect light, the sun so bright. Orange is coming from night into life with through Jesus. Green reminds us that God created the earth and trees. Like the grass in rainy season, it represents the new life we have in Jesus. Blue represents the color of water. God created the oceans & seas, this reminds us of the baptism that identifies us with Jesus. Black represents our sins and God’s darkest day. Purple is for Jesus’ hours of sorrow, so we can gain the crown of life. Pink is for our new tomorrows. White represents God’s purity and the cleansing of our sins thru God’s grace. Rainbows appear after mighty storms, when things look their worst. Just when the sky is darkest, out of heaven a rainbow appears. The rainbows message still speaks to me and you. The rainbow is a sign of God’s promise, that he will guide us thru any storm. When you feel battered by life’s storms and you are filled with doubt. Just remember God’s rainbow is coming and he’ll be there for you. 

The people of Israel did not care about God and what he wanted, instead they just sought after their own pleasure without giving Him a second thought. They rejected their covenant with God and set up their own gods and a government filled with oppression and mistreatment of the poor and outcasts. God sent them warning after warning, but they didn’t listen. God decided to judge his people and remove them from their “promised land.” This exile, however, was never intended to be the end of their story. God’s love sent them into captivity to get their attention and their faithful response. As Israel is deeply immersed in discouragement and fear, God promised to replant them in the land after uprooting them in judgment. The first reading today from the prophet Jeremiah reflects on that emotional moment of the return from Exile. Jeremiah speaks of shouting for joy for the loving God is bringing them all back, the blind, lame and the little ones as well. The thing to note here is that all will be returning even those who have physical disabilities or deformities. No one person is excluded from their being in God’s holy family. After 70 long years, the Lord will deliver his people from the bondage of the Babylonians and restore them to their former dignity in the new city of Jerusalem! All those who have suffered will be brought back to the Lord’s holy city, Jerusalem, and once again take on the mantle of becoming a light to all the nations. 

Jesus who is the Bread of Life began his ministry hungering. Jesus who is the Water of Life ended His ministry thirsting. Jesus hungered as man, and fed the hungry as God. Jesus was weary, and yet he is our rest. He paid taxes, and yet he is the King. Jesus was called a devil, and cast out devils. Jesus prayed, and yet he hears prayers. He wept, and he dries our tears. Jesus was sold for thirty nieces of silver, and redeems the world. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and is the Good Shepherd. He died, and gave His life, and by dying destroys death. Jesus is our high priest. 

I would guess that if you were honest, many of you would admit to thinking, “Couldn’t we study something more practical or relevant? I’m struggling in my marriage! I’m wrestling with financial problems. I’m trying to raise kids in this evil world! I am not unaware of the challenges that you are facing in life right now, but there’s a reason why when you come to church the homily is not about relationships, or finances or parenting. Because where we start is with the knowledge of God. And today’s text gets right at that. In our second reading, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews counsels weak Christians converts to understand and think about Jesus. He establishes the basic identity of Jesus as the heavenly high priest who was appointed by God, ministers to God's people and shows compassion towards weak worshippers. This is one of the most important spiritual truths that you can learn: Growth in the Catholic Christian life requires gaining a clearer understanding of who God is and who you are, which drives you in desperation to the cross of Jesus Christ. The end game of the priesthood was to prepare the people for understanding the ministry of Jesus. With all the challenges we are experiencing in our relationships, finances or parenting, we all need a High Priest and Jesus Christ is that high priest. Let us appreciate God’s great provision for you and me through Jesus and confidently fly to the foot of his cross in your great need! 

In 1986, best-selling author Max Lucado, in his book, "God Came Near", shares the incredible experience of a blind man who gained sight for the first time: "For 51 years Bob Edens was blind. He couldn't see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness. And then, he could see. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation and, for the first time, Bob Edens had sight. He found it overwhelming. 'I never would have dreamed that yellow is so...yellow,' he exclaimed. 'I don't have the words. I am amazed by yellow. But red is my favorite color. I just can't believe red. I can see the shape of the moon--and I like nothing better than seeing a jet plane flying across the sky leaving a vapor trail. And of course, sunrises and sunsets. And at night I look at the stars in the sky and the flashing light. You could never know how wonderful everything is.'" 

In our Gospel, Jesus brings healing and restoration to the blind man, Bartimaeus and reveals himself to him as the Son of Man. Forced to beg by the side of the road in Jericho, Bartimaeus hears that Jesus the healer is passing by, and he begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” People crowded around Jesus try to silence Bartimaeus, but he refuses and “kept calling out all the more.” Jesus hears him and calls him to come close. Jesus puts to Bartimaeus the invitation we would all long to hear: “What do you want me to do for you?” “Master, I want to see,” Bartimaeus responds. Once he was in darkness – physically and spiritually – but then he became exposed to the light, and instead of being blinded by the light, he saw the way, and walked in it. Sometimes you and I are Bartimaeus (does that really mean “son of fear”?). We need to see; we want to see. The circumstances of life and the darkness of the world can seem to envelop us and we find it difficult to see the light of Christ. We often live in a continuous cycle of fear and anxiety and just accept the status quo. The problem is, what the world offers can leave us restless, unfulfilled, always searching for the next best thing to make us happy. More often than not, our desires for God’s peace and love become fleeting moments that get discouraged by the crowd telling us to just be content with our blindness. “Jesus can’t help you,” the world tell us, “so just accept the status quo instead.” Jesus is passing by us all and asking us what we want him to do for us. Bartimaeus' acts of courage, both to claim his dignity and to address his need to Jesus, are rewarded. Like him, let us be desperate. Let us refuse to listen to the crowd. Get up and gladly throw off your cloak of partial comfort and spring up to meet Jesus so he could wrap us in divine love.

Lord, sometimes I am blinded by fear and yet you help me see that there is truly nothing to fear as long as I’m with you. <enrique,ofs>