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Reading 1: Jeremiah 31:7-9
Responsorial: Psalm 126:1-6
Reading 2: Hebrews 5:1-6
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102421.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/
Welcome back for another edition of deacon rudy’s notes. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal and together we’re going to break open the Word!
There is always such depth and richness to the readings. But what catches my attention is blind Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus is sitting alongside the road of Jericho. Jericho was the town captured by Joshua. The story is in the Book of Joshua. Remember the story? The Israelite priests blew their trumpets as the army marched around the walls of Jericho seven times. And the walls of Jericho came crashing down (Joshua 6:1-27).
Now Bartimaeus is sitting on the roadside. Can you picture him begging for money from the people coming and going along this dusty road? He hears that Jesus is passing by as Jesus was leaving Jericho (Mark 10:46).
He begins to call out, “Jesus, son of David, have pit on me” (Mark 10:47). The people around him tell him to be quiet. Maybe they told him not to bother someone as important as Jesus. Maybe they were frustrated because this guy is always sitting on the side of the road begging. Maybe they thought he was a nuisance or a pain. Maybe they wished he’d move on.
How did Jesus react?
Scripture says that Jesus stopped and called for Bartimaeus (Mark 10:49). Only then did the people around Bartimaeus tell him to get up and go to Jesus.
Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51). It’s the same question that Jesus asked James and John in the Gospel last week. But instead of self-interest, Bartimaeus only asks to be healed – to be made whole. He believes that Jesus can help him. And so, Jesus tells him that his faith saved him (Mark 10:52). Once healed, Bartimaeus follows Jesus as a disciple.
How many Bartimaeuses sit along our path? How tempting is it to simply ignore the Bartimaeuses of our day? Don’t make eye contact with them when you drive past them. Roll up your windows so that you can’t hear them call out.
Maybe Bartimaeus is the homeless person who you see on your drive to work. Maybe Bartimaeus is the person in the car behind you in line at the coffee shop who looks like they’ve been crying. Maybe Bartimaeus is that elderly person who lives all alone and never has any visitors.
My brothers and sisters, we are disciples of Christ Jesus. So often we are counseled that to be like Jesus means to imitate Jesus. What did Jesus do in this Gospel passage? Jesus stopped, looked around and called for Bartimaeus. Maybe that means that we should stop and acknowledge Bartimaeus too especially on this weekend of World Mission Sunday. We are called to look beyond our comfort zone – called to go out to the periphery – to reach out to those in need.
Maybe we could keep basics in our car so that we encounter a homeless person, we can offer them some socks or a bottle of water or maybe something warm during the winter. Maybe when we pull up to the window, we could let the barista know we’d like to buy the coffee for the person in the car behind us. Maybe when we see that elderly person who lives alone and comes to Mass alone, maybe we could say hello. Maybe we could sit with them. Maybe we could invite them to join our family for lunch or dinner after Mass?
Today, our highly polarized political environment could cause us to either dismiss Bartimaeus or to judge Bartimaeus. It’s Bartimaeus’ own fault they’re in that situation. Those are the voices in the crowd trying to silence Bartimaeus from calling out to Jesus. Participate in politics – absolutely. That’s our civic and moral duty. But we can’t allow our politics to drown out the voice of Bartimaeus. We cannot allow politics to prevent us from carrying out our Christian duty to bring comfort to those in need.
Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following question.
Jesus stopped and called for Bartimaeus. Reflecting on your most recent experiences, how likely are you to stop and acknowledge Bartimaeus in your life?
I think doing our homework will help us be the intentional disciples we are called to be. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!
You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word! Peace!
Image Credit: Unknown. JPG file.
References:
1. Healy, Mary. Hebrews. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016. Kindle.
2. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
3. Montague, George T. SM. Mark: A Popular Commentary on the Earliest Gospel. Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 1992.
Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Signs of the kingdom: 547-50
2. Ministerial and common priesthood: 901, 1545-7
3. Priesthood of the old covenant: 1539-43
4. Priesthood of Christ: 1544-5
5. Jesus hears our prayer: 2616
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102421.cfm
Lectionary: 149
Reading 1
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.
Responsorial
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Reading 2
Hebrews 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
Alleluia
Cf. 2 Timothy 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, 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.