Friar’s Corner: Master, we too want to see
Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR
Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalms 126:1-6; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52
This week we look at another dimension of Jesus’ ministry on earth. The Jeremiah section speaks about God gathering the Jewish exiles and bringing them back to their homeland. The prophetic message said, “I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst….” Many humans, including Sunday churchgoers, do not know Jesus and really don’t want to follow him as disciples.
This is what my seminary professor said about this weekend’s readings.
In our contemporary society, there is any number of people who are overlooked. They may be homeless, unemployed, elderly, institutionalized or disadvantaged in some way. In addition, there are people who are lackluster, dull and uninteresting. It is so easy for us to look past them. It is amazing to think of the number of people who enter and exit our lives, and how many of them go largely unnoticed. But how we brighten up in the presence of people of means, stature, or influence.
What would Jesus do for those people he sees through our eyes? With our priorities, is there something we can do for “those on the side of the road?” Can we turn off the TV and help someone? How sensitive Jesus was to those left out. Whether it was an old, bent woman who touched his clothes, a mother on the way to bury her son, short and unimpressive Zacchaeus scurrying up a tree to see Jesus, or a rejected woman taken in sin, no one was overlooked.
Master, I want to see
In the gospel section today, Jesus, in the last healing story before he entered Jerusalem to die for our sins, heard Bartimaeus cry out from the shadows. He had heard about this wonderful Jesus and was not going to let him go by without asking for help in his hopelessness. “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” Jesus stopped and had the man brought to him. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Master, I want to see.”
Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
And he became a disciple.
Some of us sense that God is “cleaning house” in the government and the Church. Many Catholics are confused, upset and angry about what is happening in our church with the sex-abuse scandals. As a result, they leave the church and stop their contributions. St. Francis of Assisi would kiss the hands of a sinful priest because of the sacramental power given to him. He would forgive him and pray for his conversion. We can pray for those priests and especially their victims. Chaplets of Divine Mercy are very helpful.
Abandoning Mass is cutting yourself from the greatest channel of God’s power in your life. The scripture readings teach us how to live a good Catholic life. Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist is the greatest meal on earth, the Body and Blood of Jesus. The church never sends us a bill for that meal. Mass empowers us to go out into the world, being Jesus helping others.
Refusing to support the church is not good. It needs finances to buy hosts, wine, candles, pay salaries of church employees, pay the electric bills, insurance, upkeep of buildings and so on. Without those funds, some parishes would have to close and be sold to help fund the rest of the diocese. Jesus’ mission to us was to go out and help save the world and fill up the churches, not close them. We need to help people see the great value of Jesus and his mission.
Vote for life
With the coming election, there are many issues indeed. Yet I think the Pro-Life issues is first. I know Jesus is for life not for killing, especially the most helpless of humans in the womb. There are many things surrounding the Pro-Life cause that can help us. I think what is most important now is to clearly vote for all Pro-Life candidates at our local, state and federal levels.
It is shocking to me to see that one party is mostly for life, yet not everyone in that party. The majority of members of the other party are for death, which is murder. I hope we want to thank our mother and father for allowing us to live and raising us. We are either male or female at God’s design to help him continue the growth of our human family. We are all God’s children by his design. Please pray a lot for this mid-term election and go vote. It is a great emergency now. Our country’s future and part of our judgment before God at our death depends on our vote.
St. Teresa’s prayer
Last October 15th we remembered a great Carmelite nun’s, St Teresa of Avila. These thoughts of St. Teresa are amazing and invoke much thought and encouragement to vote correctly. We are the heart, hands and eyes of Jesus helping others.
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with
Compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
…Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Pray, study and fast for this coming mid-term election. Commit yourself to vote. How and for whom would Jesus vote? Study the Pro-Life candidates in your area. The number of unborn humans murdered each year is coming down in the last few years because of so many who believe and are committed to working for life. God gave us the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Amen. We can greatly help stop abortions with our LIFE vote.
May Jesus open our eyes to see more of his great plan for us as he opened the eyes of Bartimaeus. God, please save and bless our country.
(© 2018 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)
