By Denise Carroll

“And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Master, let me receive my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.” ~ Mark 10:51-52

Lectio Divina

In today’s gospel reading, we encounter Jesus in Jericho with the twelve disciples and an ardent group of followers. The Passion is drawing near, and Jesus is preparing to travel to Jerusalem.

Bartimaeus, a blind man sitting on the side of the road, is desperate to reach Jesus amongst this crowd. A cry goes out from the blind man, “Jesus, have pity on me!” Part of the crowd tries to quiet this man.

Instead, Bartimaeus shouts louder as he is sure he is in the presence of the Messiah. When Jesus asks the blind man what he wants, Bartimaeus declares, “I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” With his sight healed, Bartimaeus shows that he is indeed a follower of Christ and continues on the journey with the apostles and others in the crowd. What a witness to his faith!

Faith Heals

We can all learn from Bartimaeus. Some in that crowd may have been skeptical about whether Jesus was the Son of David. If Bartimaeus lost his confidence when part of the crowd tried to shush him, they would not have seen this beautiful healing performed by Jesus, who was very near his Passion.

I have seen the hand of God work in my life so many times. When my daughter was three years old, I applied for a job that I was sure was perfect for me . . . I thought. It would be a big step up from my role as an administrative assistant. Except I did not get the job. I knew in my heart this job would have added stress and more time away from my daughter, so I convinced myself it was for the best, even though I had financial worries.

Answers to Prayers

Just a month later, I landed a job leading me to become a teacher. This job fell in my lap even though I initially did not want to be a school secretary. My sister encouraged me to at least interview for the job. I did and soon accepted the position. When I told my mom about it, she said it was an answer to her prayers that I would find something so close to home and have more time with my daughter. The icing on the cake was that my daughter eventually attended the same school where I taught. My mom and I marveled at how good God is.

This secretarial position inspired me to return to college, finish my degree, and become an elementary school teacher. Last year, I retired after 25 years of working at this charter school.

Another time, I did not have the confidence Bartimaeus had when he shouted out to Jesus. I lacked the courage to ask the parish priest if I could be a lector. For quite a while, I felt a tug to participate more at Mass.

“Do I just ask if I can be a lector, or do you have to be invited by the priest?” I wondered at the time. Though a cradle Catholic who always attended Mass, my faith was growing as I recently discovered Catholic radio.

One Sunday after communion, I prayed for the courage to ask Father Shawn, the new pastor at our church, if I could be a lector. A few minutes later, before the final blessing, Father asked if anyone would consider being a lector at Mass. Well, now I had the courage! I have been a lector since 2018 and consider it truly a blessing.

Prayer

Jesus, help me ask for what I need, with faith that you know what is best for me and my family.

Call to Action

Encourage others to take a leap of faith by inviting them to Mass, joining a prayer group, or becoming faith formation teachers.  They may need inspiration from you.

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