READINGS FOR THE THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B, 27TH OCTOBER, 2024.
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm: 125
Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-6
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
REFLECTION BY FR. CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM
A CALL TO GO ABOVE THE CROWD
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today’s reflection calls on all Christians to go above the crowd. The word crowd can be described as a serious obstacle, hindrance, a terrible distraction which must be avoided. The crowd can draw us away from achieving our mission goals. With the crowd, we cannot see and work well in a challenging circumstance.
It invites us to replicate ourselves in the lives of those who respond to the Good News by going above the crowd. True Christians go above the crowd to testify to God’s love by sharing the Good News of their faith with those experiencing difficulties.
There is a great need for us to go above the crowd. Going above the crowd of our lives enables us to experience true restoration, healing and joy. The crowd can prevent us from experiencing the Divine Mercy of our Lord and the joy that comes from the healing power of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Our society today is blinded by the crowd of secular and consumerist culture in which God is removed from the public space. Many people seem to deem moral values and institutional religions as relative and irrelevant. Many people are living in captivity, bondage and trapped by the wait of different forms of blindness. We experience these challenges in our missionary services.
Today’s Gospel exposes the power of the crowd and the need for us to go above the intimidating crowd. The Gospel narrates how Jesus restored Bartimaeus to physical sight. (Mark 10:46-52).
Analysing the story of Bartimaeus within the context of today’s Gospel, I realise that every successful mission requires tremendous faith. Bartimaeus was a man of tremendous faith. Faith opens us to God who makes impossibilities possible. By faith, challenging situations in our lives can be calmed. Faith uproots intimidation, fear, anxiety, discouragement and worries. Faith replaces our blindness with light, joy, courage and hope. Jesus reassures us that on “a dark night of fear, doubt, and helplessness, he is always on our side to save us.” Christ showed great love and concern to heal Bartimaeus of his physical blindness. This is a message of hope for us.
The Prophet Jeremiah in today’s First Reading expresses God’s healing of the spiritual blindness of His People by subjecting them to captivity in Babylon. God liberated them and brought them back to their homeland. The crowds of our lives are not necessary barriers that draw us away from practicing our Christian faith. (Jeremiah 31:7-9).
We pray for liberation from the shackles of our blindness. Each one of us suffers from one form of blindness or the other. We can be physically challenged but spiritually and intellectually endowed.
Bartimaeus asked Jesus to let him see again. His request suggests that he was not born blind. He was seeing before he lost his sight. He expressed faith and trust in the healing power of Jesus Christ. This also suggests that he was not spiritually and intellectually blind. He knew what he needed. He identified the right person with power and authority to help him. Bartimaeus knew how to achieve his goal by going above the crowd who wanted to distract him.
We are called to make a genuine effort to regain our sight by courageously going above the hindrances of the crowd. Jesus restored the sight of Bartimaeus, his joy was great and he began to live a full life again. He was happy and he praised God. Bartimaeus was physically blind but spiritually insightful. Obviously, God is able and willing to heal us not only our physical blindness but also our spiritual and intellectual blindness.
May the light of the Holy Spirit end our blindness and grant us the proper vision we need to go above the crowd of our lives. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM.
“We pray for liberation from the shackles of our blindness. Each one of us suffers from one form of blindness or the other. We can be physically challenged but spiritually and intellectually endowed”. Fr Cornelius Nwaogwugwu CM