With whom you will go
During the season of hot weather without rain, parishioners came to the priest asking to celebrate Holy Mass, praying for rain. When they came to church, the priest, testing their faith, asked: has anybody come with an umbrella?
Can we in our life be able to do something or achieve something without faith? It will be very difficult for us if, while doing something, we do not believe that it makes sense that we will succeed. How do we know that Bartimaeus believed that he would finally "succeed"? When he found out that Jesus was nearby, He began to cry out. First, he believed that Jesus will hear him. Second, he gave up his mendicant cloak. He believed that he would no longer need it. Third, he told Jesus what he wanted. He believed that Jesus would do a miracle. And now we have a dilemma. Who healed him? Jesus or his faith?
What is faith? It's an attitude that allows us to take a few steps further than we are. You can have weak faith, shallow, strong, deep ... Do we believe in our faith? Sometimes we just slide on it, like a water spider on a water surface. Immediately we turn on such a lamp, our mind and we calculate, but after all ... but how ... but it is impossible. Faith is to open up new horizons for us, because faith includes the desire to move forward. Faith prevents us from standing or stepping back. Faith allows us to see more than what we see. I know one blind boy whose mother brings him to Holy Communion. And this blind boy is the only person in the line to receive Holy Communion with a smiling face. I believe that he accepts Christ with faith and this faith fills him with joy.
It is so hard for us to give up this cloak as Bartimaeus did. Maybe it will be useful. Someone once had a dream that he was hanging over the precipice on some kind of rope and shouting out: God save me! God answered him: I will save you, just let go of this rope. But then I will fall! We must also believe that Jesus hears a single voice in this large crowd. Sometimes we say: "why I have to bother God with my problems, He has much bigger problems on his head." Probably yes, but our faith will take some of these problems off his mind.
Experts say that when one of our senses loses its efficiency, other senses come to its aid to support the damaged cognitive functions. It was the sense of hearing that allowed the blind Bartimaeus to realize that he was very close to his greatest chance in life. He heard about Jesus but never saw Him. Now he hears the crowd, but he sees neither the crowd nor Jesus. What is left to do in this situation? Believe and cry out. Unfortunately, there were many who, seeing this, tried to attack him and told him to shut up and keep quiet. And in our lives there are many people who will tell us: are you stupid, do you believe? Fortunately, there are also those who say: be of good cheer, he is calling you.
Humanly speaking, this miracle of healing eyesight was very much needed by Bartimaeus. Yes, we all need it. Lord, let me see, let me see Your presence, Your plans, Your plans in my life.
ASK
And now give the Lord your blindness and weariness - the fact that you preferred to sit by the road in a sense of nonsense, feeling sorry for yourself ... You have a life chance in front of you! But Jesus is in a hurry to Jerusalem to do the Father's will on the cross - so take advantage of this time. Jesus is passing by, he is in front of you, he is holding a blank check in his hand. Ask Him.
BELIEVE
In the Gospels we read that the blind man exclaimed "Rabbuni". It means "Master" and a master is someone who teaches me how to live. Thus, Bartimaeus admits that Jesus is the Master who teaches a new way of life according to his Gospel. But "Rabbuni" does not only mean "Master" - it means "my Master", "my only Master". Bartimaeus thus says to Jesus: You are the only teacher who will teach me how to live. I don't want anyone else to teach me life, only You, Jesus! Today I confess to You: You are my Master. This is the faith of Bartimaeus. You too now have the opportunity to profess your faith. Saint Paul says that if you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord that He is the only Master, then you can receive the experience of salvation through Jesus. Do you want to experience salvation now? But it does, mean that you have to give up every other master, every other means of salvation.
GO YOUR WAY
Then Bartimaeus says, I want to see, Jesus. I want to see the road, see the colors, the faces of my friends, my children, and the sky. Give me my sight. And Jesus says, "Go." Wait a minute ... Bartimaeus wanted to see! And here Jesus does not say: "see", but: "go." Now we come to the bottom of this miracle of Jesus. It is not a miracle that Bartimaeus is regaining his sight. It is a miracle that he can go now! His life found purpose and meaning. Now Jesus says these words to you: You too have a purpose in your life. Your faith has healed you. We read in the Gospel that the blind man immediately regained his sight and followed Jesus. Before that, he was sitting by the road. The disease was his weariness, apathy, hopelessness. Now Bartimaeus has a way to go. Before, he had nowhere to go - now he is going to Jerusalem, where Jesus will fulfill the will of the Father. Bartimaeus also has a goal, which is to do God's will. And now, what is most beautiful. Until now Bartimaeus had nobody to go with. At this moment, he is no longer lonely and isolated. He's going to Jerusalem with Jesus! With him, he carries out the will of the Father. Jesus is his Friend, his Way, his Life. Have you already asked Jesus to be your Friend?
Until Tomorrow
fr. george