The Cry of Bartimaeus
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
MK 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, son of David, have pity on me. And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, Son of David, have pity on me. Jesus stopped and said, Call him. So they called the blind man, saying to him, Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you. He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, What do you want me to do for you? The blind man replied to him, Master, I want to see. Jesus told him, Go your way; your faith has saved you. Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
Grace Prayed For
I pray for the courage to cry out to God and the clarity to see His path.
Reflection
Bartimaeus provides a masterclass in the pillars of our Baptismal Mission. His persistent cry, ‘Jesus, son of David, have pity on me,’ is the essence of persistent Prayer. He doesn’t let the crowd silence him. In our lives, we often let the ‘crowd’ of our busy schedules or the fear of judgment silence our spiritual hunger. We must learn to cry out from our spiritual blindness. The role of the Community is highlighted when the crowd shifts from rebuking him to encouraging him: ‘Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.’ As the baptized, our role is to be that voice for others. We should be looking for the ‘Bartimaeus’ on the margins of our lives and helping them hear Jesus’ call. Finally, the Mission is seen in the result: Bartimaeus ‘followed him on the way.’ He didn’t just go back to his old life; his healing led to discipleship. To incorporate this, we must recognize that our personal encounters with God’s mercy are not just for us; they are meant to turn us into followers who lead others on ‘the way.’ Our baptismal calling is to be light in the darkness. Today, reflect on what you need to ‘throw aside’—like Bartimaeus’ cloak—to follow Jesus more freely. Spring up and come to Him.
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post