Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Homily Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
(Mark. 10:46-52) “Do You See What I See”
I once heard a man who had a chronic illness say in frustration, “I will not be defined by my disease.” He didn’t want people to feel sorry for him. He wanted people to know that he was still a person with something to offer others.
I can imagine Bartimaeus, who we read about in the Gospel today, making that same statement. To those who were marching toward Jerusalem with Jesus as they left Jericho, Bartimaeus was a beggar sitting on the side of the road. He was begging alms from pilgrims going to the city. Bartimaeus believed he was of value. Bartimaeus is a name that means “honorable son.” He believed Jesus was the Son of David. He also thought he himself was a child of God.
Bartimaeus was unlike the other beggars in that he would not be silenced. He called out to Jesus proclaiming him as his savior. He was told to be quiet by those around him. We can imagine him being roughly pushed aside. He was viewed as unimportant. He was damaged goods. How often when we are describing someone we might point to a limitation? “You know the man in the wheelchair.” Or we might say, “You know the woman who has one arm.” Of course, that is a huge mistake. A person who has physical limitations has a mind and a soul.
When people are blind it is a difficult thing. But if a person defines themselves by their blindness that is even a worse situation. We can think of one of the most famous blind people who ever lived, Helen Keller. We might have seen the movie called the Miracle Worker. In that movie we meet Helen Keller as a little girl living on a farm in Alabama. She is blind and deaf. But far more tragic is that most of her family doubted her potential. They indulge her every whim. She is not taught to be polite or civil. She is treated almost like a pet. She is fed and taken care of, but nothing much is expected of her.
But a teacher named Anne Sullivan comes to instruct Helen Keller. She won’t accept the idea Helen Keller can’t learn. She teaches Helen to speak. Helen Keller resists Anne Sullivan until one day there is a breakthrough, and she starts to learn what language is all about. Helen Keller remains blind, but she learns to have a unique vision. Helen Keller earns college degrees, she becomes a famous writer, but most of all she becomes a social activist speaking out for the rights of women, denouncing racism, advocating for those with physical and mental challenges. At the end of her life, she won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She could sense things that others couldn’t.
When Bartimaeus came to Jesus he cast off his cloak. This might seem like a meaningless gesture. But it was highly symbolic. The cloak was the most valuable possession for a vagrant. Probably it was the only blanket a poor man had. A blind man might spread his cloak in front of him on the ground so people could toss coins on it. In that way, the money would not just fall on the ground where a sightless person would have to scratch around in the dirt to find it. The blind person could gather the corners and collect the coins in their purse.
When Bartimaeus tossed off his cloak he was saying by his action, I want not only to leave my blindness behind I want to leave the helpless feeling I have behind. He was saying, “I am a human being. I want to be respected.” Jesus, by giving Bartimaeus his full attention, lets him know that he is important in the eyes of God. Even if Jesus hadn’t physically healed Bartimaeus, he healed him emotionally by acknowledging him, stopping,and listening to him. By his interactions Jesus proclaimed Bartimaeus’ fundamental human dignity.
During this Respect Life Month, we say we respect all human life. We remember that respecting life is not just about being sure that people are born alive, but it is just as much about treating all people with mercy and justice no matter who they are. Many is the time that people with physical and mental challenges cry out for equality, but how often we don’t hear. What do we lose as a society when we make that mistake? How are we as individuals listening to those in cry out for recognition. As the Body of Christ, we need to see what Jesus saw.
Reflection Questions:
- How do I treat people with physical challenges? When I meet them do I see them as an equal?
- Have I ever been in a hospital or bedfast? How did that change me?
Dear Parishioners,
As we hear the story of Bartimaeus today it challenges us to be more aware of those with physical limitations in our midst. We might ask how we can do that in a practical way as a parish community. We might be sensitive to those we see attending our services, opening doors for them, helping them to their cars, etc.
Many times, “being helped” is difficult for people with physical afflictions. People want to take care of themselves if that is possible. When I was at the University of Illinois, one of the goals of the university was to allow students with physical challenges to be able to move around campus as freely as possible. I remember students who were in motorized wheelchairs for example who went from place to place, moving in and out of buildings on their own because doors opened when tripped by an electric eye, ramps were provided, and other accommodations were made.
As we anticipate the new addition to our church, we can remember that one of the biggest motivations is to allow those who cannot enter the church freely, might one day be able to do so. Those who cannot use the bathrooms now might be able to access them. This is so important and would seem to be worth whatever sacrifice we can make.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark