Reflection for THURSDAY 8th Week in Ordinary Time

By

Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Assistant Parish Priest,Manjeshwar,Kasargod


Reflection after Meditative Reading of Today's WORD of GOD

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 said, ‘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.

Reflection on the Readings 

Reborn in Spirit

Sirach Moves from Outward Things to Inner Mysteries, from the Beauty of Nature to the Depths of the human heart where Emotions Vibrate & Reasons May Clash. 

“God Plumbs the Depths & Penetrates the heart, & Understands Their Inmost Being. How Beautiful are All HIS Works… to Meet Each Need, Each Creature is Preserved.” 

Following Sirach’s Advice, Our Life of Faith too should Follow the Quick Spontaneity of the Child that Reaches Towards Its Mother’s Breast for “The Pure Milk of The Spirit.”

Blind But Vigorous

A Lovely Stained-Glass Window in a  Church in Paris, France, Depicts Today’s Scene, the Healing of the Man Born Blind. 

At the Bottom of the Picture is Written the Exchange Between JESUS & the Man, “What Do U Want ME to Do for U?,” 

“LORD, let Me See Again.” 

Apparently This Man almost Did Not Get Close Enough to JESUS to Really Talk with HIM. When He 1st Cried Out, from His Place by the Roadside, “Son of David, JESUS, have Pity on Me,” Some Friends of JESUS Scolded the Man & Told Him to Keep Quiet.

JESUS was Critical of Those Who Prevented Others from Coming to Believe in HIM. 

HE Reproved HIS Disciples for Preventing Children Being Brought for HIS Blessing. 

HE Ignored Those who Tried to Prevent Blind Bartimaeus from Making Contact with HIM. 

Rather than Shutting Doors in People’s Faces, JESUS Wants HIS Followers to Open Up the Kingdom of Heaven to Others. 

Our Calling is to Help Each Other Meet the LORD, to Bring Each Other to the LORD in Some Way, to Support One Another in Our Efforts to Follow the LORD Along the Road.

We can only Admire the Efforts Made by Pope Francis in This Direction.

JESUS Stopped HIS Walk & Told Those who were Insisting that the Man Keep Quiet that, instead, They Call Him to Come Over. These Well-Meaning Followers of JESUS were Preventing This Man from Relating to JESUS, much to JESUS' Annoyance. 


Good Morning 

GOD Bless you 

Happy feast of St. Justin the Martyr, who went in search of truth, found it in the scripture and gave his life for that truth thus bring able to defend his faith.