I WISH TO SEE

A blind man, Bartimaeus, on hearing that Jesus was passing by,
cried out, ‘Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.’
. . . Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’
So they called the blind man and he threw aside his cloak and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’
The blind man replied to him, ‘Master, I want to see.’
Jesus told him, ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.’
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.  Mark 10:46-52

All of us, like Bartimaeus, have Jesus ready to move us from blindness to a truer way of seeing what is happening in and around us. We need only take the time to become aware of His presence and then, ask for and be open to receive His help.

“Encounter with Jesus ‘opens our eyes’ in more than just a physical sense: we ‘see’, with a new depth of perception, what is real and true.”¹

We are all so busy “doing” things and so concentrating on the “doing” that we tend to forget that the world in which we are operating is God’s world.  God’s world? So where is God? Far away or right here – right now?  – while I am writing this, getting ready to do whatever I m going to “do” next?

REMEMBERING GOD

How can we help ourselves to remember that God is always “passing by“? One practical reminder I set up for myself is an alarm on my cellphone that now bings every hour with the message, “Remember:  God is here!”  I suspect that many of us need reminders to keep us from rushing through life.

FOLLOWING JESUS

“Bartimaeus is moved to use his new-found ability to ‘see’ physically, to recognize in Jesus the One Who should be followed.”²

In this week’s Explorations in Faith and Spirituality session we heard Bishop Robert Barron and literary professor Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson say that, if we don’t choose a role model to follow, we end up taking on the habits and actions of those around us without knowing that these are shaping us.  Whom do you wish to follow?

In every convent in which I have lived, I looked for someone who was living in a way that I wanted to live – living a God-centered life to the best of her ability – at least from what I could see. Nobody is perfect at that, but I can surely see when one is trying to do so. I tried to learn from them and, as someone said in last Tuesday’s Explorations session, “It is like when you have a player on your sport team who is working really hard. He inspires you to do that, too.” So whom are you following?  If no one, then look around and find someone to follow in your quest to be a genuine disciple of Jesus.

“Bartimaeus’ focus no longer is on himself and his challenges: he has been freed and given a power to go beyond himself, and so becomes an example of response to the call to discipleship. It is as if Bartimaeus knows that, in Jesus’ company, he will ‘see’ so much more than what appears to physical sight alone.”³

Let’s gather at Mass this weekend committing ourselves to this and being aware that all of us gathered are doing the same thing – looking for clearer vision for ourselves, for each other and for those we will meet during the week.

Sister Loretta

1. Msgr. Timothy Shugrue’s Bulletin Column, St. Michael Church Weekend Bulletin, October 24, 2021
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.