Jer 31:7-9; Ps 125 (126); Hb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52
Courage, Get Up
Dear friends, today is the 30th Sunda in Ordinary Time. We have only four Sundays left in this liturgical year. The theme for today’s reflection is taken from the words of the crowd to the blind Bartimaeus: “Courage, get up; he is calling you.” Many of us want to be healed from our infirmities, addictions, and bad habits, but we either do not gather enough courage to seek help or give in to the shouting of the crowds around us.
In the first reading today, prophet Jeremiah speaks the message of hope to Israel’s captivity that lasted more than a hundred years. The people who had only known suffering and tears for years will taste joy and comfort one day. All those who are left in tears will sing when they return. Are you held in some form of captivity as we speak now? Maybe your marriage is full of conflict, a place of work that is full of jealousy and witch hunting, a community that is full of negative competition for resources and positions, friendships that are full of betrayal, discriminatory traditions and customs, witchcraft, bad mentalities, and ideologies, or some other forms of the captivity of a similar nature?
Today’s good news is “courage, get up”, Jesus is calling you near him to free you. In fact, this is the very reason why Jesus came in the first place, and it is contained in his manifesto at the beginning of his ministry “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Lk 4:18-19). The Gospel is meant to free us from all kinds of slavery. When I see how much pain people in my mission especially women and children go through because of discriminatory and outdated traditions and customs, I find myself praying like Moses did, “I wish all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit on them” (Num. 11:29). However, God’s wisdom is that people like me must preach the good news and teach the people how to be free in Christ Jesus. I am trying my best, I really am.
In the book of Hebrews, we read that the High Priest “is appointed to act for men and women in their relationship with God and to offer gifts and sacrifices for the atonement of sins”. The role of the priest is to intervene between God and man. He being human knows the needs of his fellows. The priest acts in the person of Christ who reaches out to every person in his or her own situation. Though sinful himself, his mandate is to act on behalf of Christ for his own salvation and that of all men and women. Do you listen and take heed of your priest? As a priest, do you perform your duties properly to free the people of God from their captivity?
The healing of the blind Bartimaeus in the Gospel passage today is an illustration of how Jesus was keen to listen to the needs of everyone especially those who were marginalized and discriminated. Amidst all the noise and the crowd shouting him down, Bartimaeus did not get discouraged but continued to call for Jesus’s attention. The amazing thing is that the same crowd that shouted him down earlier, calmly told him, “Courage, get up, for he is calling you”. I can imagine the look on their faces when they saw Bartimaeus approaching Jesus. All the time they have been shouting behind Jesus but none of them heard Jesus call close to him. Of course, they might have been shouting the name of Jesus but were not calling him the same way Bartimaeus was. Do you remember what Jesus told the people “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of God”? (Mt. 7:21). How many prophets are shouting the name of Jesus in every corner today? Do you think that they are all calling the same Jesus as you?
We too are not to give up hope even in the worst of all scenarios in our struggle. Let our prayer be genuine and the Lord will hear us no matter how much the noise of discouragement around us is. Take courage and soldier on, one day that conflicting marriage will come to peace and understanding, that project you have started will be accomplished, those neighbours and workmates will respect you, but keep shouting, keep praying, keep pushing, keep working hard, keep loving, and many other efforts that seem too difficult now.
Dear friends, no matter how much noise and shouting we are going through in our lives, we shouldn’t be discouraged from calling Jesus for help. Again, we are also called to be missionaries of hope to those around us and not to shout them down. Things can always be better if everyone works hard with hope for a better day. Hopelessness is the enemy of self-motivation and development.
Blessed Sunday
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 