DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
Jeremiah 31:7-9, Psalm 126:1-6, Hebrews 5:1-6, Mark 10:46-52
Jeremiah 31:7-9
My Beloved, we ought to be a people of exultant praise to
our God who never tire of proclaiming all the wonderful things that God our
Father has done for us in and through You. Every promise that He made through
the mouths of the prophets in the Old Testament has been fulfilled in You. All
that was hinted at, all that was veiled in oaths, promises and Covenants find
their perfect expression in this amazing and awesome truth. The Father loved us
so much that He sent You into the world to be our Savior. Sin made us exiles
and orphans but we rejoice because You healed the breach created by sin and You
won for us mercy, forgiveness and pardon.
You have restored our sight, You have gathered us from every
corner of the globe, You have healed our wounds and our spiritual disabilities.
You have saved us. You give us living water that never runs dry and You take us
by the hand and walk with us every step of the way as You lead us in the Way
that will take us to the Kingdom of God. Thank You.
Psalm 126:1-6
My Beloved, as Your followers, Your disciples, as people who
are called Christians because we belong to the One anointed by the Father and
sent into the world to redeem us we must be joyful always. Despite suffering,
hardship and whatever cross the Lord sees fit and necessary to lay one us we
must never lose sight of this truth – that we are created by God to know Him,
love Him, serve Him and to be happy with Him not only in the hereafter but in
this life as well.
This is possible because You give Yourself to us as Food in
the Holy Eucharist. You grant us forgiveness of all our sins in the Sacrament
of Reconciliation. You have given us the Gift of the Holy Spirit to enable us
to do what would otherwise be impossible on our own strength - strive to live holy lives with His help and
the grace that He channels into our hearts.
We are the people of God who rejoice always because we have
been saved.
Hebrews 5:1-6
It will do us well to always remember my Beloved, that we
are called. We do nothing of our own accord. Whoever we may be, all the
baptized are given a mission. God has a plan for each one of us some are called
to have greater responsibility to lead, preach, teach and serve but all of us
are part of the mission to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. Each
according to our vocation is priest, prophet and king although we are sinners
and we have the sinless High Priest who redeemed us as our example. We must fix
our gaze on You always and follow in obedience where You lead no matter where
it make take us.
Mark 10:46-52
My Beloved, we are told that You were leaving Jericho to go
to Jerusalem for the Passover festival and a large crowd along with Your
disciples were with You. What was the motive of those in the crowd who
accompanied You? Some would have been there only because being part of a large
group would ensure that they were safe from thieves and robbers who often lay
in wait for pilgrims. Some would have been there because they had heard about
You and were curious. Still others may have been there because they were
attracted to Your message and wanted to follow You. But I am sure it is safe to
say that many were only there because it was convenient to make the journey
from Jericho to Jerusalem in a large group.
Jericho represents the place that we are at as sinners and
Jerusalem represents the place where we are prepared to sacrifice our lives for
our neighbor as You did. Bartimaeus represents every sinner who genuinely
repents of his sins and desires to encounter God. He is prepared to rid himself
of every attachment that holds him back from truly embracing God’s will just as
Bartimaeus who jumped up when he was told that You called him, threw his cloak
and ran joyfully to You. You asked him what he wanted You to do for him just as
You ask all who seek You not for Your sake but for ours since You are God and
know all things. We need to know what we truly want and then in all humility,
faith, hope, and trust ask for it. “Master, that I may see.” Bartimaeus yearned
for more than physical sight. He recognized You as the Messiah when he called
out, “Son of David have pity on me.” He wanted to know You and have a personal relationship
with You. He wanted to be Your disciple and this is why, once You granted him
his sight he followed You.
No comments:
Post a Comment