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CYCLE B 30TH

1. Blindness was an affliction often mentioned in the Bible. Mosaic law contains some dispositions aimed at protecting the blind, explicitly forbidding others to place obstacles in their path or lead them astray.

Even today extra care is given to those who are blind or handicap. Which is only right. Basic human decency requires us to care for those vulnerable people.

In religious language BLINDNESS is also used in a metaphorical sense to indicate an…

-INTERIOR Disposition of SPIRITUAL HARD-HEARTEDNESS.

-Or the WILLED LACK of SENSITIVITY to the works and wishes of God.

Jesus showed a great concern and care for the Physically Blind as seen in a number of the Gospels like today’s. And He showed contempt or Great distain for those of the latter and Jesus reproved the Pharisees as such many times.

2. The first mention of FAITH in the bible is Gen. 15:6. Faith on one hand is the SURE ADHERENCE of the mind to the truth of the words uttered by God which contained His promise to Abraham.

And on the other hand is emphasized as the Confident and full surrender of Abraham to God who promises and saves. Abraham again Commits himself unreservedly to God.

Having FAITH is to make a supremely free act by a People (Israel) or by a person (Bartimaeus). In doing so, each party would abdicate a certain self-sufficiency or reliance on others outside of God. And by committing the community or the person totally to God, there was the expectation of God’s care and especially leading to salvation.

The concept of Blindness and understanding of Faith go hand in hand. The Old Testament was about a Faith that called the person/that called Israel t0 have complete confidence in Yahweh. Therefore all the stories of the old Testament show the struggles of ownership of just such a Faith. The Exodus was the perfect example of this relationship. Yahweh formed a people and delivered them from Slavery to a promised homeland.

Our Jeremiah reading tells us that because Israel was not always faith ful, bad things happened. In this case they had be deported or exiled to Babylonia. As the Israelites again took on the call of Faith, They were freed to go back to their homeland. A 2nd or new exodua.

1. Today’s readings are about our journey of Faith. In the reading from Jeremiah, it was about the Faith of the Israelites as they journey back from exile in Babylonia.

In the Gospel it is the Journey of Bartimaeus. He dealt with his Blindness and did not let it prevent him from seeking Jesus healing touch.

Since we all find our selves on a Journey of Faith, because of our fall from God’s graciousness, we too must deal with our positive steps and negative steps that happen on our way back toward God. 3 words that can help us understanding the rhythm of Faith journey of the Israelites, Bartimaeus and ourselves are:

—PERCEPTION—PERSISTENCE—PROGRESSION.

A. To PERCEIVE IN FAITH means to take the first steps, to answer or to process, with our mind and heart that ‘Inner Call’ that comes to us from God. We believe God has always called us to a relationship with Him. But understandably so it’s hard to know exactly what that call is about. So to perceive or understand God’s Calling, we use the Bible with it’s Historical view, the Church in its Teaching authority, prayer in it’s power to open the mind and relationships in their ability to help us play out the STIRRING of our being.

B. To PERSIST IN FAITH means once we have a grasp of God’s presence in our lives, we are eager to know deeper this presence. We want to keep it alive. We test by action, we probe in prayer, we challenge our conscience. To persist means we Refuse to be discouraged by obstacles and difficulties that come along.

C. To PROGRESS IN FAITH means that we take what ever level of understanding we have of God or His involvement in our lives and we move forward or move ahead with it. We wear it, we own it, we put it into practice. We follow him. We have taken at least one step on our journey toward God.

The process of PERCEIVING, PERSISTING and PROGRESSIING happens over and over.

2. The Old Testament is about just such a process for the Israelites. For we clearly see a Faith Journey with YAHWEH of PERSEIVMENT, PERSISTENCE and PROGRESS. The first mention of Faith comes in Gen. 15:6. The covenant of God with Abraham calls for complete reliance on God and He promised to make them a great nation.

The Exodus for the Israelites form Egypt was the Next Great step of Growth In Faith. God in the Covenant with Moses made the Israelites His people and He would be their God. It was a journey in the desert of ups and downs, even after they reached the Promised Land.

The reading of Jeremiah reminds us that even after much progress there are times that we still failed to live up to the covenant. We must RESTART the faith process over again. Having be in exile, the Israelites PERCIEVED that God was still with them. He was giving them a NEW EXODUS. A new journey back home to Restart again in their promised land and make progress under their faithful God.

3. The New Testament is about the Faith Journey in Jesus Christ. Here to people must Perceive, Persist and make Progress toward knowing Jesus as the messiah. The miracle to cure the Blindness of Bartimaeus was one persons Journey from ‘physical and spiritual Blindness’ to ‘physical and spiritual wholeness’.

-Bartimaeus in his condition of blindness is a great story of perceiving that God will care for him.

-A great story of persistence when others told him to be silent.

-And a great story of PROGRESS as he not only got up to go to Jesus and be physically cured….but make progress and follow Jesus as he went on His way…..way to Jerusalem.

4. If Jesus appears today asking “What Can I do for you”, would he have to give you 3 or 4 wishes before you would answer ‘FAITH’.

If we 1st wanted a new car, 2ndly a vacation or 3rdly a big bank account, I would say….it’s back to square 1. WE need to ponder anew mans’ plight and PERCIEVE from that…God’s Will. FAITH IN HIM.

1. We don’t have to reinvent the FAITH WHEEL. (Plan of Salvation)

-God Chose the Israelites: Abraham, Moses, Covenant, prophets.

-Jesus is fulfillment: Church, Sacraments, Mission.

3. But we must DEAL WITH THE FAITH WHEEL.

-Deal a Community and Deal as an individual.

-All Sin does not come from weakness of the will.

– Some comes from a Darkness of the intellect.

—PERCEPTION—PERSISTENCE—PROGRESSION

3. Examples: Israel in Exile.
Perceive God is with them.

Persist in returning to His ways.

Progress back to Promised Land.

Example: Bartimaeus.
Perceive Jesus is present.

Persist in going to him.

Progress to follow Him in his dual Healing.

4. “What can Jesus do for us: Physical weakness / Intellectual
-Do We PERCIEVE GOD IN OUR LIFE?

-Do We PERSIST in FOLLOW UP to His call.

-Do we recognize our need to SEE.

-Do We Make PROGRESS in turning away from sin and follow Him.

5. -Jesus said I am the Light of the World.

6. -The World and it Cultures of Sin provides the Darkness.

7. -Our prayer for the community, for ourselves must be…’LORD, I WANT TO SEE”.