+ If we could only grasp the fuller meaning of this gospel passage, our day today would be filled with the light of God's very truth, and our steps would be sure and confidently decisive. The passage tells us that Jesus is interested very much in our physical ailments and defects. It tells us that he wills and chooses to do something about them, because he can, because he is God. It tells us also that he can deal with our spiritual ailments and defects as well. It tells us that he can do something about them as well: IF WE HAVE FAITH (ON BOTH ACCOUNTS) – even the size of a tiny little seedling! It is not the quantity of faith that is important, it is its actual existence in our souls at all that really counts!
Jesus wills to and cures Bartimaeus of physical blindness! Bartimaeus receives his sight and then follows Jesus. And he probably became a regular follower of his from then on: this is certainly an appropriate response to one who received such a blessing in one's life. But, equally true is the fact that Bartimaeus is restored spiritually as well: or he would not have had the inclination to follow Jesus after he got what he wanted.
Jesus can affect a change in our physical infirmities (in his way and time, sometimes more quickly than others); and he can also affect change in our spiritual lives as well (sometimes more quickly than others, as well). Knowledge of this is vital to the Christian. We must be able to see clearly who God is, who we are, how we relate to one another and what we are called to do in this life with God's help alone. When we can understand this, then we are no longer spiritually blind. Only God alone can be the cause of our seeing this way! Otherwise, we are quite literally the blind leading the blind, whether we can see physically or not!
God is our Father, we are his children, we are brothers and sisters of Jesus and one another, and we are called to help one another through the pilgrimage of earthly life until we reach our Father's Mansion in heaven! This is spiritual reality! This we must
see, with the grace of God! This sight, the Eucharist we share at the this Mass can increase, if our faith is the size of the tiniest seedling!
Lord, we want to see! Lord, give us light! Lord, give us sight! – and we shall follow you into eternity!
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