By Sister Karen Cavanagh, C.S.J.
In just seven weeks, Pope Francis, who has proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, will open wide the doors of the Church’s Holy Year of Mercy. He is calling us to “gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives.”
Have we not, all of us, had a blessed and amazing preparation with his fatherly visit to the Americas and to our city? Our hearts, ears, spirits and eyes have been opened with his tender compassion, reverence, good nature, forgiveness, healing touch, smiles, blessings and grace. As we anticipate this special time in the Church, we give thanks today and we pray: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” (Psalm 126)
This Sunday’s Scriptures invite us to remember the “great things” our God does for us. God’s love for each of us is seen in Jeremiah’s description of the One who gathers a people from all corners of the world, dries their tears with gentle consolation, guides them to waters of refreshment, sets them safely on a level path and calls them beloved children, calls them – and us – My own. “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”
The Gospel reading we heard last week and the one we hear today are two stories which the evangelist, Mark, inserts at a point after Jesus’ third prediction of His own Passion. They share an inner unity as Jesus tries to prepare His disciples for the ordeal ahead of Him. Both Gospels remind us that through the gift of faith we are offered the necessary vision and spiritual sight to understand and accept the Paschal Mystery.
We hear today the story of a blind Bartimaeus, who is a beggar along the road. His name means “son of” (Bar) “honor, renown” (Timaeus). We are reminded of this because it would appear that not only his blindness, but also life itself finds him far from honor or renown, and far from family care. This is the miracle account at the final phase of Jesus’ journey toward Jerusalem and the Passion. Mark began predicting the Passion journey shortly after Jesus had restored sight to another blind brother of ours at Bethsaida. Jesus and Mark are speaking to us now and saying, “Are you still without perception, without understanding?” Don’t you see it? Don’t you get it? The way is simple but not easy – there is suffering and the cross.
It’s good for us to hear today’s Gospel every now and then, and sometimes even more often. Whenever I hear it, it seems that I am always able to bring to my mind yet another new clarity or understanding that the eyes of my heart need to know. So often my heart’s understanding moves in and out of clarity, sees as though in a fog and at times, does not get it at all or refuses to see the message and the mission.
Several years ago, there was a controversial movie titled “Eyes Wide Shut.” I never saw the movie, but the title fascinates me. As opposed to the phrase “eyes wide open,” it describes a person who refuses to see something in plain view because of a preconceived notion of what something should look like. Is it fascination or blessed admission that there are times when we refuse to see other than our own illusion or preconceived idea of the way something should be?
Should we, or better would we cry out from the crowd, “Son of David, have pity on me”? Do we have the courage and faith to step forward and away from the crowd to have our eyes, ears and hearts opened and restored?
At Church celebrations, services of anointing and at every Eucharist we are blessed with the sign of the cross.
Sometimes we are anointed with it, and our senses are embraced with mercy and hopefully, energized in an awareness of faith and mission. The disciples professed, Bartimaeus followed, Aaron became the father of a line of priestly people and Jesus looks with love – at you and me – hoping for our “Yes.”
Way of Discipleship
So often I pray, “God, that I might see,” and yet I continue to half-look, to squint, to turn my head or close my eyes to the truth of what that sign of the cross might mean – that the Passion and Cross of Jesus Christ is the WAY of such discipleship.
Today Pope Francis closes the Synod of Bishops on the Family. As the synod progressed, Pope Francis requested that a “blind eye” not be turned toward the challenges, that we not fail to celebrate the family and help the many families who are living in and with difficult conditions.
May we see clearly to the edges, margins and challenges of God’s behavior in our world through Jesus Christ’s words and ministries. His unconditional, indiscriminate love and mercy impels us to be prepared to allow the “scales” to drop from our eyes in the doing of justice, of mercy, pity, compassion and love.
As we move forward toward the Holy Year, may our eyes be “wide open” to the cross and the gracious mercy and power of God in us. God be with you.
Readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 31: 7-9
Psalm 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Hebrews 5: 1-6
Mark 10: 46-52
Sister Karen Cavanagh, C.S.J., a trained spiritual director and retreat facilitator, is a pastoral associate/family minister at St. Nicholas of Tolentine parish, Jamaica.