In this Sunday’s Gospel, Bartimaeus, a blind man, cries out to Jesus in hopes of being healed and receiving his sight. Despite the crowd rebuking him, he continues to call out to Jesus, and is eventually healed.
There are two things that resonate with me in the gospel reading. The first is the resolve of Bartimaeus. Despite the crowd rebuking him and trying to silence him, he remained steadfast in his goal to reach Jesus. I think Bartimaeus sets a great example of what our prayer lives should look like, and shows us the importance of prayer that is persistent and intentional. Everyday life can get overwhelming. There are days I feel suffocated by the negativity in the news, the uncertainty of the future, or the lack of control I have over things in my life and those closest to me. There are times I’ve felt hopeless, and I’ve forgotten that Jesus is constantly trying to be in communion with us. Bartimaeus reminds me to keep my faith at the center of my life. I believe faith is a lens that can help put things into perspective and help us focus on the important and meaningful things in our lives. Does remaining steadfast in my faith completely eradicate the negativity and uncertainty around me? No, it doesn’t. But keeping faith-centered allows me to focus on the positive energy people bring into my life, the many signs of hope that are present in the world, and that Jesus is ever present in my life through those who support me.
The second thing that stands out to me in the gospel is how Jesus reacts to Bartimaeus. Jesus is not annoyed or dismissive of Bartimaeus, but has those around call him, and Jesus simply asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus here models the perfect example of a humble servant. In my own prayer life, I can get so caught up in asking Jesus for things that I want, or answering this very same question he posed to Bartimaeus. There’s nothing wrong with making prayer requests, but I also think it’s important we remember to ask ourselves what we think Jesus wants of us. In my time as a student and teacher in ministry, an idea I’ve heard often is, “Don’t ask what you can receive, but what you can give.” I’ve always felt one of the ironic things about our faith is that when we choose to humbly give of ourselves, we are abundantly blessed in return. My hope and prayer after reflecting on this gospel reading is to remember to keep faith at the center of all that I do, and to remain a humble servant in Christ.
Readings at
USCCB.org Living the Word resource
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm: 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-6
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
