First reading Ecclesiasticus 42:15-26
The work of the Lord is full of his glory
I will remind you of the works of the Lord,
and tell of what I have seen.
By the words of the Lord his works come into being
and all creation obeys his will.
As the sun in shining looks on all things,
so the work of the Lord is full of his glory.
The Lord has not granted to the holy ones
to tell of all his marvels
which the Almighty Lord has solidly constructed
for the universe to stand firm in his glory.
He has fathomed the deep and the heart,
and seen into their devious ways;
for the Most High knows all the knowledge there is,
and has observed the signs of the times.
He declares what is past and what will be,
and uncovers the traces of hidden things.
Not a thought escapes him,
not a single word is hidden from him.
He has imposed an order on the magnificent works of his wisdom,
he is from everlasting to everlasting,
nothing can be added to him, nothing taken away,
he needs no one’s advice.
How desirable are all his works,
how dazzling to the eye!
They all live and last for ever,
whatever the circumstances all obey him.
All things go in pairs, by opposites,
and he has made nothing defective;
the one consolidates the excellence of the other,
who could ever be sated with gazing at his glory?
Responsorial Psalm 33:2-9
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,
with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
O sing him a song that is new,
play loudly, with all your skill.
For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
By his word the heavens were made,
by the breath of his mouth all the stars.
He collects the waves of the ocean;
he stores up the depths of the sea.
Let all the earth fear the Lord
all who live in the world revere him.
He spoke; and it came to be.
He commanded; it sprang into being.
Gospel Mark 10:46-52
Go; your faith has saved you
As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them 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 said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
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From blindness to sight
Today’s gospel tells us the story of the encounter between Jesus and Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. This story invites us to have the same active faith that Bartimaeus had. Though he was physically blind, his heart grasped who Jesus truly was. Thus, Bartimaeus persistently shouted out to get Jesus’ attention even though the crowds around him demanded that he be silent. When Jesus called him, Bartimaeus responded with faith by throwing off his cloak, which represented his life of blindness and begging, and going immediately to Him. His tossing away his cloak shows his willingness to abandon his old life and embrace a new life with Jesus. After he regained sight, Bartimaeus followed Jesus as a disciple along the road of life.
We are often blind and struggle to see ourselves, others, or situations clearly due to the weight of the past, our disappointment, our prejudices, etc. Thus, we might feel restless, confused and even focus on the wrong priorities. Yet, the same Jesus that passed by Bartimaeus’ life comes to us today. Let us have an active living faith to see Him and follow Him.
Reflective question:
In what way do I identify with Bartimaeus?
In what way do I identify with Bartimaeus?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
