30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B
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One of the very first posts I wrote on this blog was about a similar miracle. Then, however, it was two blind beggars whom Jesus healed. (You can read it by clicking >HERE<)
This event as narrated by St.Mark is pretty similar but - if we listen - the Word of God will impact us differently each time it is announced to us.
When this Gospel was being proclaimed today I kept thinking – “int tallab?” (Are you a beggar?). I was listening but i kept “hearing” the words “int tallab? …int tallab?”
This man was a beggar.
And he was sitting on the side of the road: outcast.
He was a REAL beggar!
He was one who would beg no matter how much people told him to be quiet!
This event as narrated by St.Mark is pretty similar but - if we listen - the Word of God will impact us differently each time it is announced to us.
When this Gospel was being proclaimed today I kept thinking – “int tallab?” (Are you a beggar?). I was listening but i kept “hearing” the words “int tallab? …int tallab?”
This man was a beggar.
And he was sitting on the side of the road: outcast.
He was a REAL beggar!
He was one who would beg no matter how much people told him to be quiet!
And then I was thinking "are you a beggar?"
And IF you were a beggar, what would you beg for?
This man was begging God and people were trying to silence him but he kept at it – refusing to stop before God answered.
…IF I were a beggar would I be like him?
…would I be that good at it:
Patient? Humble? Determined? Tusting enough?
And IF you were a beggar, what would you beg for?
This man was begging God and people were trying to silence him but he kept at it – refusing to stop before God answered.
…IF I were a beggar would I be like him?
…would I be that good at it:
Patient? Humble? Determined? Tusting enough?
And IF I were to beg God for something – what would I beg Him for?
- if I begged would I continue despite voices that try to silence me?
Look around you and you’ll see:
There are voices all around us - sometimes even within us - trying to silence what is good and holy! (…worse still these voices often times actually promote the very opposite!)
> you believe in God? Come on its 2009!!
> you pray?! Are you like 5 years old?
> what you actually go to Mass?!?! Get a life!?
Not to mention other things which are not exactly about God:
> Sex within marriage only? Are you ok?
…and who needs Marriage anyway? – just cohabitate!
(odd thing is that people with same-sex attraction actually WANT “marriage”!)
So all around us - sometimes within us too - are voices which try to silence us but a real beggar would keep begging!
- if I begged would I continue despite voices that try to silence me?
Look around you and you’ll see:
There are voices all around us - sometimes even within us - trying to silence what is good and holy! (…worse still these voices often times actually promote the very opposite!)
> you believe in God? Come on its 2009!!
> you pray?! Are you like 5 years old?
> what you actually go to Mass?!?! Get a life!?
Not to mention other things which are not exactly about God:
> Sex within marriage only? Are you ok?
…and who needs Marriage anyway? – just cohabitate!
(odd thing is that people with same-sex attraction actually WANT “marriage”!)
So all around us - sometimes within us too - are voices which try to silence us but a real beggar would keep begging!
When this beggar was being scolded and told to be quiet he only got louder! Repeating his cry – shouting it out so that Jesus would answer him:
Jesus,
Son of David,
have mercy on me!
Sometimes we give up.
Sometimes we think it is all in vain – but this beggar did not!
He kept shouting till Jesus answered Him.
…and I kept thinking – would I do that?
Would I be that kind of beggar?
Sometimes we think it is all in vain – but this beggar did not!
He kept shouting till Jesus answered Him.
…and I kept thinking – would I do that?
Would I be that kind of beggar?
His begging DID pay!
He got healed! His sight was restored!
He got healed! His sight was restored!
That man begged for sight because he was blind
- he did not need sight of faith for he had that:
his begging reflected his faith and it healed him!
- he did not need sight of faith for he had that:
his begging reflected his faith and it healed him!
I have eye-sight but do I need God to restore my faith?
Would I beg Him as this man did – beg Him till He answers?
Would I beg Him as this man did – beg Him till He answers?
If I beg, God will stop, call me and say:
“What do you want Me to do for you?”
Maybe I should consider the Apostles’ prayer:
“Lord increase our faith!”
Maybe I should consider the Apostles’ prayer:
“Lord increase our faith!”
(Luke 17:5)
You remember at the start it said that this man sat on the roadside? Did you notice that by the end of the reading this man was no longer sitting there? He was following Jesus!
And if at the start he was an outcast – sitting on the roadside - he was certainly no longer that by the end of the Gospel! God Himself called Him and, given that he answered this call and proceeded to follow Jesus, he was certainly a friend now: of Jesus!
And if at the start he was an outcast – sitting on the roadside - he was certainly no longer that by the end of the Gospel! God Himself called Him and, given that he answered this call and proceeded to follow Jesus, he was certainly a friend now: of Jesus!
Lord increase our Faith!
