30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr. B
Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrew 5:1-6; Mark 10: 46-52
On this thirtieth Sunday in the ordinary time, the Church invites us to place our faith and hope in Christ, our high priest. As our High Priest, Christ opens our eyes to see the marvels that He has done for us.
Our second reading reminds us of the role of the priest. Every true priest shares in the priesthood of Christ. A priest mediates for the people and helps strengthen their faith. “Every high priest was chosen from among humans …so he can understand and sympathize with those who are ignorant and rejected.” Hence, St Augustine, during his episcopal anniversary, wrote “I am fearful of what I am for you, but I draw strength from what I am with you. For you, I am a priest, and with you, I am a Christian … Help me by your prayers and obedience to carry out these many serious and varied duties…” (Sermon 350,1).
So, as a human being “who lives within the limitations of weakness,” the priest must pray for himself. As Christians, we all need God’s mercy, healing, and liberation from the limitations of life. So, we must constantly turn to Christ, our High Priest, for help.
In the gospel, Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was in a difficult disadvantage and with many problems. He was blind and he had to beg for people’s sympathy to get on with life. More than that, he doesn’t seem to have an identity of his own. He was really in the depths of poverty. He has no identity, no dignity and maybe even no sympathy. Because when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he shouted for Jesus to have pity on him. The disadvantage was that he couldn’t see. But his ears could hear that Jesus was near and he still had a voice to call out to Jesus.
When Jesus asked Bartimaeus what dose he want, Bartimaeus asked to let him see again. The reply of Jesus is truly a revelation for Bartimaeus “Go, your faith has saved you.”
The disadvantage of Bartimaeus was his blindness. But his advantage was that he had ears of faith to hear that Jesus is near and voice of faith to call out to Jesus to have pity on him. Bartimaeus represents our collective human situation that is constantly yearning for healing and liberation from weakness, sickness poverty and sin. Christ said to him “your faith has cured you.”
There is a saying that “if you are not tired of praying, God is not tired of listening to you.”
The good news today is that Christ, our high priest is always ready to hear, heal, and free us from whatever is limiting us in life. He wants us to see again. To see again is to have a living faith in Christ.
Recent Comments