October 25, 2015
Gospel: Mk 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a
sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside
begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son
of David (1), have pity on me." And many rebuked (2) him, telling him to be
silent. But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on
me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind
man, saying to him, "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." He
threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in
reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to
him, "Master
(3), I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your
faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him
on the way.
The difficult words
(1) Son of David is a title for the Messiah,
Jesus.
(2) To rebuke someone means to correct sharply, to
make someone stop doing something.
(3) Master was a name for a teacher people
would follow. At the end of today’s Gospel, Bartimaeus follows Jesus on the
way.
This week’s spotlight
The opening prayer
The people at Mass are very different, but they love
the same God, who gathers them as his
Church. After the Gloria and before the first reading, the opening prayer helps
us to form a true community, by joining all of our individual prayers into one.
Then, in communion with one another; we are ready to listen together to the
word of God.
Sanctus
In the middle of Mass, we sing or say a chant that
comes from both the prophet Isaiah and
the Book of Revelation. It is called the Sanctus (Latin for "holy”)
because it honors the greatness and
holiness of God. At the beginning of the chant, we repeat “holy” three times in
honor of the Father; the Son, and the Holy Spirit. At the end, we particularly
honor the Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is about to come to us in Holy
Communion: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Reflection
Making the right choice
As you listen to the Gospel this week, picture
Bartimaeus, the blind man, begging by the side of the road. He has been sitting
there for a long time and has heard so many people passing by. Perhaps some of
them have given him a small coin, or a kind word. Others, certainly, feel
embarrassed and just ignore him. Today will be different for Bartimaeus. He has
heard that Jesus is going to pass by, and has decided finally to ask for what
he really desires. He has decided to believe that Jesus can heal him. As Jesus
approaches, Bartimaeus struggles and shouts. Nothing can make him be quiet! He
wants to see! Jesus calls him. He jumps up and runs over. He doesn't ask Jesus
for money, but he dares to ask with faith: "I want to see." Jesus is
moved by his faith, and heals him. The blind man has made the right choice; he
has trusted in Jesus. He immediately begins to follow Jesus. How about you? Are
you going to choose Jesus? Will you dare to ask Jesus for what your heart truly
desires? You have been taking steps toward Jesus this month, but are you going
to trust him completely? Following Jesus is a life-long journey, but it begins
one step at a time. Choose Jesus today. Jump up and say, "Here I am.
Lord."
Discussion questions
1. During the Mass, when does the priest say the opening prayer? What is
it for?
2. What does the “Sanctus” mean?
3. What does Bartimaeus do when he hears that Jesus was passing by?
4. Why must he be persistent in calling out to Jesus?
5. What do you think this might teach us about prayer?
6. When Jesus stops and calls for him, what does Jesus do and say?
Praying after Communion
After receiving
Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart.
Through this communion with the
body and blood of your Son, help me to grow in faith. I want to follow you and
to see with the eyes of love.
Puzzle
