Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 05-26-05, Memorial, St. Philip Neri, priest

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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From: Sirach 42:15-25

The Splendor of the Created World

[15] will now call to mind the works of the Lord, and will declare what I
have seen. By the words of the Lord his works are done. [16] The sun looks
down on everything with its light, and the work of the Lord is full of his
glory. [17] The Lord has not enabled his holy ones to recount all his
marvellous works, which the Lord the Almighty has established that the
universe may stand firm in his glory. [18] He searches out the abyss, and
the hearts of men, and considers their crafty devices. For the Most High
knows all that may be known, and he looks into the signs of the age. [19] He
declares what has been and what is to be, and he reveals the tracks of
hidden things. [20] No thought escapes him, and not one word is hidden from
him. [21] He has ordained the splendors of his wisdom, and he is from
everlasting and to everlasting. Nothing can be added or taken away, and he
needs no one to be his counsellor. [22] How greatly to be desired are all
his works, and how sparkling they are to see! [23] All these things live and
remain for ever for every need, and are all obedient. [24] All things are
twofold, one opposite the other, and he has made nothing incomplete. [25]
One confirms the good things of the other, and who can have enough of
beholding his glory?

Commentary:

42:15-50:29 As in the other "parts" of the book, we can say that this one
has two sections to it--a doctrinal section (dealing with the origin of the
universe, God as Creator and provident Lord: 42:15-43:33) and then a sort of
practical section (44:1-50:29), dealing with praise of the ancestors of
Israel to whom God "granted wisdom" (43:33). In this sense, this last part
of Sirach is a recapitulation and a development of the two central ideas
contained in the poems that mark the high point of the book (1:1-2:18 and
24:1-34). In Sirach 1:1 it said that "All wisdom comes from God" and, now in
42:15-43:33, it describes appreciation of the created world as discernment
of that Wisdom that the Lord left imprinted upon it. And similarly, in
24:3-8, it said that Wisdom came from the mouth of the Most High, to dwell
in Israel; and now, in 44:1- 50:29, it describes how Wisdom was at work in
"famous men" who lived in, keeping with the Law. The glory of God is to be
seen in nature and in the history of mankind.

42:15-43:33. This last introductory section marks the climax of the book
message. The author began by establishing that all wisdom comes from God
(1:1-2:21). Then he said that the study of the world and, of man is the,
route to understanding because wisdom can be seen in the laws that God has
built into everything he made (16:24-18:14). Therefore, in the third part of
the book, it said that a person who desires to have wisdom must keep the
commandments (24:1-34), that is, be steeped in "fear of the Lord", which was
the focus, of the fourth part (32; 14-33:18). Now it extols the glory of
God, who creates and rules the world. When it says that "by the words of the
Lord his works are done" (42:15) it must have in mind the first chapter of
Genesis which narrates how God went about his work of creation and
distinguished his works one from another by means of his word ("And God
said ...". Gen 1:3, etc.); but the passage also prepares the way to understand
the Word of God made flesh, as we discover in Jesus Christ in the New
Testament. In the prologue to his Gospel, St. John proclaims that "all
things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was
made" (Jn 1:3; see the note on 1:1-2:21). Thus, God's Revelation reached its
climax in his incarnate Son: "In many and various ways God spoke of old to
our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a
Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created
the world" (Heb 1:1-2).

In his reflection on the glory of God as manifested in creation, Ben Sirach
begins with thoughts on God's wisdom and knowledge (42:15-25) and then goes
on to show how heavenly bodies manifest the glory of God--the sun (43:1-5),
the moon (43:6-8), the stars (43:9-10) and the rainbow (43:11-12). Later he
comments on God's power over the elements--snow, lightning, haiI, thunder,
winds, frost etc. (43:13-27). Finally he ponders the greatness of God over
everything that exists and invites us to worship him as he deserves
(43:27-32), for "the Lord has made all things, and to the godly he has
granted wisdom" (43:33).

"God is infinitely greater than all works (Sir 43:30): 'You have set your
glory above the heavens' (Ps 8:1; Sir 43:28). Indeed, 'God's greatness is
unsearchable' (Ps 8:2). But because he is the free and sovereign Creator,
the first cause of all that exists, God is present to his creatures' inmost
being: 'In him we live and move and have our being' 17:28). In the words of
St Augustime God is 'higher than my highest and more inward than my
innermost self' ("Conf., 3, 6, 11)" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 300).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Mark 10:46-52

The Blind Man of Jericho

[46] And they (Jesus and His disciples) came to Jericho; and as He was
leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a
blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. [47] And
when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and
say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!: [48] And many rebuked
him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of
David, have mercy on me!" [49] And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, He is
calling you." [50] And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to
Jesus. [51] 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." [52] 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.

Commentary:

46-52. "Hearing the commotion the crowd was making, the blind man asks,
`What is happening?' They told him, `It is Jesus of Nazareth.' At
this his soul was so fired with faith in Christ that he cried out,
`Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'

"Don't you feel the same urge to cry out? You who are also waiting at
the side of the way, of this highway of life that is so very short?
You who need more light, you who need more grace to make up your mind
to seek holiness? Don't you feel an urgent need to cry out, `Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy on me'? What a beautiful aspiration for you
to repeat again and again!...

"`Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.' As people have done to
you, when you sensed that Jesus was passing your way. Your heart beat
faster and you too began to cry out, prompted by an intimate longing.
Then your friends, the need to do the done thing, the easy life, your
surroundings, all conspired to tell you: `Keep quiet, don't cry out.
Who are you to be calling Jesus? Don't bother Him.'

"But poor Bartimaeus would not listen to them. He cried out all the
more: `Son of David, have mercy on me.' Our Lord, who had heard him
right from the beginning, let him persevere in his prayer. He does the
same with you. Jesus hears our cries from the very first, but he
waits. He wants us to be convinced that we need Him. He wants us to
beseech Him, to persist, like the blind man waiting by the road from
Jericho. `Let us imitate him. Even if God does not immediately give
us what we ask, even if many people try to put us off our prayers, let
us still go on praying' (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. Matthew",
66).

"`And Jesus stopped, and told them to call Him.' Some of the better
people in the crowd turned to the blind man and said, `Take heart;
rise, He is calling you.' Here you have the Christian vocation! But
God does not call only once. Bear in mind that our Lord is seeking us
at every moment: get up, He tells us, put aside your indolence, your
easy life, your petty selfishness, your silly little problems. Get up
from the ground, where you are lying prostrate and shapeless. Acquire
height, weight and volume, and a supernatural outlook.

"And throwing off his mantle the man sprang up and came to Jesus. He
threw off his mantle! I don't know if you have ever lived through a
war, but many years ago I had occasion to visit a battlefield shortly
after an engagement. There strewn all over the ground, were
greatcoats, water bottles, haversacks stuffed with family souvenirs,
letters, photographs of loved ones...which belonged, moreover, not to
the vanquished but to the victors! All these items had become
superfluous in the bid to race forward and leap over the enemy
defenses. Just as happened to Bartimaeus, as he raced towards Christ.

"Never forget that Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. We have
to get rid of everything that gets in the way--greatcoat, haversack,
water bottle. You have to do the same in this battle for the glory of
God, in this struggle of love and peace by which we are trying to
spread Christ's Kingdom. In order to serve the Church, the Pope and
all souls, you must be ready to give up everything superfluous....

"And now begins a dialogue with God, a marvelous dialogue that moves us
and sets our hearts on fire, for you and I are now Bartimaeus. Christ,
who is God, begins to speak and asks, `Quid tibi vis faciam?' `What do
you want Me to do for you?' The blind man answers. `Lord, that I may
see.' How utterly logical! How about yourself, can you really see?
Haven't you too experienced at times what happened to the blind man of
Jericho? I can never forget how, when meditating on this passage many
years back, and realizing that Jesus was expecting something of me,
though I myself did not know what it was, I made up my own aspirations:
`Lord, what is it You want! What are You asking of me'? I had a
feeling that He wanted me to take on something new and the cry,
`Rabboni, ut videam', `Master, that I may see,' moved me to beseech
Christ again and again, `Lord, whatever it is that You wish, let it be
done.'

"Pray with me now to our Lord: `doce me facere voluntatem tuam, quia
Deus meus es tu" (Psalm 142:10) (`teach me to do Thy will, for You art
my God'). In short, our lips should express a true desire on our part
to correspond effectively to our Creator's promptings, striving to
follow out His plans with unshakeable faith, being fully convinced that
He cannot fail us....

"But let us go back to the scene outside Jericho. It is now to you
that Christ is speaking. He asks you, `What do you want Me to do for
you?' `Master, let me receive my sight.' Then Jesus answers, `Go your
way. Your faith has made you well.' And immediately he received his
sight and followed Him on His way." Following Jesus on His way. You
have understood what our Lord was asking to from you and you have
decided to accompany Him on His way. You are trying to walk in His
footsteps, to clothe yourself in Christ's clothing, to be Christ
Himself: well, your faith, your faith in the light our Lord is giving
you, must be both operative and full of sacrifice. Don't fool
yourself. Don't think you are going to find new ways. The faith He
demands of us is as I have said. We must keep in step with Him,
working generously and at the same time uprooting and getting rid of
everything that gets in the way" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 195-198).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

St.Philip Neri at the High Altar

Thursday, May 26, 2005
St. Philip Neri, Priest (Memorial)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Sirach 42:15-25
Psalm 33:2-9
Mark 10:46-52

Love consumes us only in the measure of our self-surrender.

-- St Therese of Lisieux

Catholic Culture

Collect:
Father, you continually raise up your faithful to the glory of holiness. In your love kindle in us the fire of the Holy Spirit who so filled the heart of Philip Neri. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Activities:

Prayers:

May 26, 2005

Memorial of St. Philip Neri, priest

Old Calendar: St. Philip Neri, confessor; St. Eleutherius, pope and martyr

St. Philip Neri (1515-1595) was born in Florence and died in Rome. He lived a spotless childhood in Florence. Later he came to Rome and after living for fifteen years as a pilgrim and hermit was ordained a priest. He gradually gathered around him a group of priests and established the Congregation of the Oratory. He was a man of original character and of a gay, genial and winning disposition. A great educator of youth, he spent whole nights in prayer, had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and burned with an unbounded love for mankind. He died on the feast of Corpus Christi.

Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar this was also the feast of St. Eleutherius, who governed the Church for 15 years, after the persecution of the Emperor Commodus. He died in 192. This feast may be celebrated in particular churches.

St. Philip Neri
This gracious, cheerful saint was Rome's apostle of the sixteenth century (1515-1595). A peculiar charism was his burning love of God, a love that imperceptibly communicated itself to all about him. So ardently did this fire of divine love affect him during the octave of Pentecost in his twenty-ninth year that the beating of his heart broke two ribs. It was a wound that never healed.

For fifty years the saint lived on in the intensity of that love which was more at home in heaven than on earth. Through those fifty years his was an apostolate to renew the religious and ecclesiastical spirit of the Eternal City, a task he brought to a happy conclusion. It is to his credit that the practice of frequent holy Communion, long neglected in Rome and throughout the Catholic world, was again revived. He became one of Rome's patron saints, even one of the most popular.

Philip Neri loved the young, and they responded by crowding about him. As a confessor he was in great demand; among his penitents was St. Ignatius. To perpetuate his life's work, St. Philip founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a society of secular clergy without religious vows. The purpose of his foundation was to enkindle piety among the faithful by means of social gatherings which afforded not only entertainment but religious instruction as well. Joy and gaiety were so much a part of his normal disposition that Goethe, who esteemed him highly, called him the "humorous saint." It was his gay, blithe spirit that opened for him the hearts of children. "Philip Neri, learned and wise, by sharing the pranks of children himself became a child again" (epitaph).

As a youth Philip Neri often visited the seven principal churches of Rome. He spent entire nights at the catacombs, near the tombs of the martyrs, meditating on heavenly things. The liturgy was the wellspring of his apostolic spirit; it should likewise motivate us to Catholic Action. — The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Rome; United States Army Special Forces.

Symbols: Rosary; lily; angel holding a book.

Things to Do:

St. Philip Neri was well known for his sense of humor. To honor him today try to laugh at yourself when something annoying happens, try to make someone else happy by your cheerful disposition.
St. Philip's favorite feast was Corpus Christi. Make a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

St. Eleutherius

Eleutherius was born at Nicopolis in Greece. He was a deacon of Pope Anicetus, and was chosen to govern the Church during the reign of the emperor Commodus. At the beginning of his pontificate he received letters from Lucius, king of the Britons, begging him to receive himself and his subjects among the Christians. Wherefore Eleutherius sent into Britain Fugatius and Damian, two learned and holy men; through whose ministry the king and his people might receive the faith. It was also during his pontificate that Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, went to Rome, and was kindly received by Eleutherius. The Church of God was then enjoying great peace and calm, and the faith made progress throughout the whole world, but nowhere more than at Rome. Eleutherius governed the Church fifteen years and twenty-three days. He thrice held ordinations in December, at which he made twelve priests, eight deacons, and fifteen bishops for diverse places. He was buried in the Vatican, near the body of St Peter. — The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

~ GOD KNOWS YOU ~

You may not know me, but I
know everything about you...
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down
and when you rise up...
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways...
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head
are numbered...
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in My image...
Genesis 1:27

In Me you live and move and
have your being...
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring...
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you
were conceived...
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned
creation...
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your
days are written in My book...
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your
birth and where you would live...
Acts17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully
made...
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your
mother's womb...
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the
day you were born...
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by
those who don't know me...
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am
the complete expression of love...
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my
love on you simply because
you are my child and
I am your Father
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your
earthly father ever could...
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect Father...
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive
comes from my hand...
James 1:17

For I am your provider and
I meet all your needs...
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has
always been filled with hope...
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with
an everlasting love...
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are
countless as the sand on
the seashore...
Psalm 139:17-18

And I rejoice over your singing...
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing
good to you...
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured
possession...
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with
all my heart and all my soul...
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great
and marvelous things...
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find Me...
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in Me and I will give you
the desires of your heart...
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you
those desires...
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than
you could possibly imagine...
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager...
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts
you in all your troubles...
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you...
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have
carried you close to my heart...
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every
tear from your eyes and will take
away all the pain you have
suffered on this earth...
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my Son, Jesus...
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you
is revealed...
John 17:26

He is the exact representation
of my being...
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I
am for you, not against you...
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not
counting your sins...
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and
I could be reconciled...
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate
expression of my love
for you...
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love...
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of My
Son, Jesus, you receive Me...
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate
you from My love again...
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the
biggest party
Heaven
has ever seen...
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father...
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is... Will you
be My child?...
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you...
Luke 15:11-32
~~~~~~~~~~
Author Unknown

God So Loved the World

by Fr. John De Celles

Other Articles by Fr. John De Celles

God so Loved the World

05/26/05

Here is the summary of the whole of salvation history: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life." As St. John tells us elsewhere "God is love."


It is essential to Who God is, to everything He does, that He loves: for God, to live is to love. This is revealed first and foremost in the fact that God exists eternally as Trinity — a communion of three persons who are one God, only distinguishable from each other in their relationships to each other, relationships which are defined by the love of a Father and Son, and the Spirit that proceeds from and personifies that love. It is in this love that God created man in His image — a creature created to receive God’s love and to love Him in return. And it was man’s rejection and refusal of love that was the original sin, man’s loss of life with God. But just as sin cannot change the fact that God is Creator of the creature, it also cannot change the fact that the Creator creates in love: sin does not terminate God’s love for us. So it is completely contrary to His nature for God to allow man to perish from his lack of love without trying to save him through love. And so He came to us in the world, in love, and revealed Himself as love: as a communion of love, Father and Son, and Holy Spirit. And that love does not seek condemnation, but salvation: to restore us to receiving and returning God’s love, a love that is as eternal and limitless as the life of God Himself, the love that is the essence of "eternal life." But does all this mean that salvation, or eternal life, is automatic — that God loves us so much we cannot be condemned to live without it? Some would like to think so. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do whatever we want, and still have heaven? Is this what John means when tells us: "Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned"? Some very devout and holy Christians argue that this exactly what it means: all we need to do is believe in Jesus, and we are saved. However, to believe in Jesus ("the name of the only Son of God") also includes believing in what He actually told us. And what He told us, as St. John also reports, is: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (Jn 14:15; cf. 2 Jn 6: "this is love, that we follow His commandments"). John does not mean to say that mere belief in Jesus saves us. Rather it is belief that opens us up to love. If we believe in God the Son, we will believe in what He revealed to us: that love is the source and essence of salvation from condemnation and eternal life with God, who is love. And that loving is defined not by us, but by God in His commandments. So that, "whoever does not believe has already been condemned" — who ever does not believe in the love that Christ reveals condemns himself by rejecting God’s love. From Trinity Sunday just past, to Corpus Christi just ahead, is the perfect time for us to meditate on these most profound words of "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Let us enter into the mystery of the love of the Trinity, a love we were created to share from the beginning, and a love we can share in now because "God gave His only Son" — Jesus Christ, the Incarnation of the love of the Trinitarian God. Fr. De Celles is Parochial Vicar of St. Michael Parish in Annandale, Virginia. (This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

In Rome today!

Pope Benedict XVI (C) leads a traditional religious procession through the streets of Rome May 26, 2005. It was the first time the Pope, elected on April 19, led the Corpus Domini procession from the Basilica of St. John's to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the two most popular churches in Rome after St. Peter's at the Vatican. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Lord, I Want to See!
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Thursday, May 26, 2005

Mk 10:45-52

For about 1500 years, from the time of Moses down to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, Jewish worship centered on sacrifices in their temple. There was a special sacrifice for every circumstance and each one was grounded in a key insight into human nature.

For example, every morning began with the holocaust sacrifice. An unblemished lamb and a loaf of the finest bread were burned on the altar, and a cup of choice wine was poured into the ground. Symbolically, the people were giving back to God the essentials they needed to live. In effect they were saying, "We know it all comes from you, Lord, and we're very grateful." How wise they were!

They had other sacrifices as well. Sacrifices of praise and of thanksgiving. Sacrifices for sins and for peace. Each one had its own prescribed ritual and special meaning, but probably the most interesting of all was the sacrifice for unknown sins.

This was more than just a bit of insurance in case a person had skipped the fine print and ended up breaking some obscure rule he knew nothing about. The sacrifice for unknown sins came from something the wise old rabbis had learned about human nature, and that is, sometimes we're all spiritually blind.

Sometimes we just don't see ourselves clearly or accurately. Sometimes we don't see what we're doing to others, what effect we're having on them. Sometimes we don't see the big patterns in our lives, though everyone else sees them. And sometimes we don't see the not-so-lovely ideas that are shaping our lives at the core. Sometimes our blindness lasts just a little while, and sometimes a whole lifetime. But always inner blindness is a hazard for every one of us. It can strike any one of us at a moment's notice! Now why is that so? Why do good people like us fail to see so much?

I think there are probably two reasons: First of all, very few of us were ever taught to ask carefully at every turn of the road, "What am I really doing, and why am I doing it?" We just weren't taught to look methodically for the truth about ourselves. And so, unseeing, we live a lot on the outside of things.

Secondly, even those who were taught discover that quite often, as we begin to see, fear intervenes, and turns out the lights. Fear of the ugliness we may see. Fear of what we may have to change if we let ourselves see. Fear that whatever is wrong will be too much for us. Fear there's nothing of value within us. And, so out of fear, often we live unseeing on the outside of things.

Our fears would be entirely justifiable if we were walking this road alone. But we are not alone. The Lord himself is at our side with his hand outstretched to steady and encourage and strengthen us. We have no cause to fear now, and no reason to close our eyes any more, for there is nothing that we and the Lord cannot face together.

And so it is time for us to cry out with that blind man in the Gospel, "Lord, I want to see. Lord, I am ready to see whatever there is to see, because now I know for sure that I'm not alone!"

A Voice in the Desert

Thursday May 26, 2005 Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading (Sirach 42:15-25) Gospel (St. Mark 10:46-52)

In the first reading today from the Book of Sirach, the Wise Man today is recalling for us God’s works and talking about all the things that he has seen. The important point here is when he says, At God’s word, all His works were brought into being. At His word. God did not have to do anything to make all that exists. As the Psalm said, He spoke and it stood forth.

That is exactly what we see in the Gospel reading today. Bartimaeus, this blind man sitting along the side of the road, calls out to Jesus, and when Our Lord calls him to Himself, He asks him simply, What is it that you want Me to do for you? The man said, “I want to see.” And the Lord simply said, Go your way. Your faith has healed you. Immediately, he received his sight. Our Lord did not touch his eyes; He did not do anything to the man; He simply spoke and it happened.

That is the power of the Lord. He is God. Everything comes forth at His word. If we go back to Genesis 1, it simply says: God said, ‘Let there be light.’ God said, ‘Let there be … these things and those things as He created them. He simply spoke and it happened.

So, too, it continues to be that everything God wills happens exactly as He wills. At His word, whatever it is that He wants to be exists. It is true for each one of us. It is true for things that require our faith, like the Eucharist. The change that takes place in the Eucharist happens at the Lord’s word spoken through His priest. It is not anything you can see. It is not anything we can touch. It is not anything that is physical, but it is real. And it is not that anyone did anything to the bread or to the wine, but it is merely at the word that is spoken, the very words of Our Lord Himself. The same is true in the confessional with the forgiveness of our sins. The priest speaks the words and the sins are gone. He did not touch your head; he need not look in your eyes. Nothing. All he has to do is speak the word and the sins are gone. So we see that in the greatest miracles – the transubstantiation of the Eucharist and the forgiveness of sin – all that is necessary is the word of God, to speak and it happens.

Now we have to learn a lesson from Bartimaeus, though, and that is his perseverance in calling out to the Lord. Even when people told him to be silent and they tried to get him out of the way, he called out even louder asking the Lord to have mercy upon him. We have to have that same sort of perseverance in prayer, to seek the Lord, to wait upon His Will. We might be asking for the right thing in prayer, but it may not be the right time. All things will happen in God’s time and according to His Will. We simply need to persevere, to keep crying out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us!” And He will. He is all-merciful. He is all-loving. He allows difficult things to happen in our lives, as we have seen many times, but He always brings a great good out of them. His mercy is demonstrated in our lives over and over and over again. So we simply need to have the kind of faith that Bartimaeus had, the faith that one does need eyes to be able to see. Even the blind can know that God simply spoke and it came to be. The blind can know that the Eucharist is Jesus and that their sins are forgiven because there is nothing that needs to be seen with the eyes of the body, only with the eyes of the soul.

So in the spiritual blindness that most of us suffer from (since we can all see just fine with our eyes) we need to pray that God will touch us, that He will speak His word and our spiritual blindness will be removed so that we will be able to see clearly the works of the Lord and be among those that Sirach spoke of, the hosts of the Lord who fail in trying to recount His glory even though the Lord has given them the strength to stand before His glory. That is the desire each of us needs to have: to be able to stand before His glory, to be able to see Him face to face – not with the physical eyes but with the eyes of our heart – and to be able to glorify Him. Even though in our human weakness we will fail in glorifying Him perfectly, nonetheless, the fulfillment of our faith, the fulfillment of what God gives to us in sanctifying grace now is glory in heaven, and that will be seen and experienced only by those who live now by the pure vision of faith.

* This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.

The Word Among Us

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Meditation
Mark 10:46-52

What was that blind man doing, just waving a hand and saying, “Hey, Jesus?” Remember, Jesus was surrounded by a large crowd, and Bartimaeus was sitting down beside the road. He probably had to bellow at the top of his lungs just to be heard. The Greek word translated here as “shout out” can also be translated as “exclaim,” “scream,” or even “shriek.” Evidently, Bartimaeus wanted something badly enough to keep shouting even when everyone rebuked him—similar to the way children approach their parents when they really want something.

Notice, too, Bartimaeus’ response when Jesus called him. He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and hurried over to Jesus (Mark 10:50). Apparently, he had no doubt that Jesus would do what he asked; at the very least, he wasn’t afraid of hearing “no.” Somehow, Bartimaeus knew that Jesus loved him. Like a child, he acted aggressively, confident of that love. And in the end, Jesus commended him (10:52).

The truth is, Jesus wants each of us to have a similiar attitude of faith and trust in his love. And when you think about it, we have no reason not to have such faith. Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) and he asks us, too. He wants us to bring him, not only the “big” things—our sight, health, marriages and the like—but also the “little” things that stir us or bother us daily.

Jesus is calling to you right now. He knows your heart and understands your inmost being (Sirach 42:18). Don’t be afraid to throw aside everything that hinders you, spring up, and run to him, full of confidence in his mercy and love. Be persistent. If you think he doesn’t hear you, raise your voice. When your mind tells you to be quiet and not bother him, call out all the more.

Jesus wants us to bring the core of our hearts to him: our hopes and desires, our fears and failures, our wants and needs. And like any loving parent, he will give us everything we need.

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy! I believe in your love, and in your power to heal. Come, Lord, and pour out your healing power upon everyone who is calling out to you right now. Lord, I know you can heal!”

Sirach 42:15-25; Psalm 33:2-9

One Bread, One Body

<< Thursday, May 26, 2005 >>

St. Philip Neri

Sirach 42:15-25

Psalm 33

Mark 10:46-52

View Readings

CLOAK AND DAGGER

Bartimaeus “threw aside his cloak, jumped up and came to Jesus.” —Mark 10:50

Blind Bartimaeus is sitting by the Jericho roadside. There’s a big crowd following Jesus as He passes by. Bartimaeus may be blind, but with eyes of faith he sees that Jesus is the Messiah, that is, the “Son of David” (Mk 10:47). He also realizes that Jesus is merciful, so he cries to Jesus, “Have pity on me!” (Mk 10:48)

When Jesus calls him over, Bartimaeus throws aside his cloak (Mk 10:50). This is a tremendous act of faith for a blind man. His cloak is his only means of staying warm. If Jesus does not heal him of blindness, he may never be able to find that cloak again in such a big crowd. In addition, by throwing aside his cloak, Bartimaeus can’t prevent someone from stealing it. By throwing aside his cloak, Bartimaeus professes his faith in Jesus far more loudly than any words he screamed.

The way we live screams to the world whether we believe Jesus is Lord of our life. What are you holding onto? Is there something you need to throw aside before you are free enough to come to Jesus? Throw it away, and “get up,” for Jesus “is calling you” (Mk 10:49-50).

Prayer: Jesus, I will consider everything I have to be “rubbish” so that You can be my Lord (Phil 3:8).

Promise: “He makes known the past and the future, and reveals the deepest secrets.” —Sir 42:19

Praise: St. Philip Neri was persuaded by his confessor to become a priest and was ordained at age thirty-six.

Mk 10:46-52
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
46	And they came to Jericho. And as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a very great multitude, Bartimeus the blind man, the son of Timeus, sat by the way side begging.	et veniunt Hierichum et proficiscente eo de Hiericho et discipulis eius et plurima multitudine filius Timei Bartimeus caecus sedebat iuxta viam mendicans
47	Who when he had heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, began to cry out and to say: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.	qui cum audisset quia Iesus Nazarenus est coepit clamare et dicere Fili David Iesu miserere mei
48	And many rebuked him, that he might hold his peace; but he cried a great deal the more: Son of David, have mercy on me.	et comminabantur illi multi ut taceret at ille multo magis clamabat Fili David miserere mei
49	And Jesus, standing still, commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying to him: Be of better comfort. Arise, he calleth thee.	et stans Iesus praecepit illum vocari et vocant caecum dicentes ei animaequior esto surge vocat te
50	Who casting off his garment leaped up and came to him.	qui proiecto vestimento suo exiliens venit ad eum
51	And Jesus answering, said to him: What wilt thou that I should do to thee? And the blind man said to him: Rabboni. That I may see.	et respondens illi Iesus dixit quid vis tibi faciam caecus autem dixit ei rabboni ut videam
52	And Jesus saith to him: Go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he saw and followed him in the way.	et respondens illi Iesus dixit quid vis tibi faciam caecus autem dixit ei rabboni ut videam

Christ healing Bartimaeus.

Armenian manuscript 1301-1325
Drawing on vellum : col. ; 24 x18 cm.
UCLA Special Collections Arm. MS. 1 p.250

One image covering top half of folio is divided in half. Christ and Peter nimbed, stand l. against a background of gold over green. Against an ultramarine background, a young disciple r., holds his l. hand extended diagonally and with his r. hand takes the r. hand of the seated blind beggar Bartimaeus of Mark 10:46-53. Bartimaeus holds eyes tightly closes, and wears a purse over the l. shoulder, and a hat, which is falling off his head. Adjacent text: The Gospel of Mark in Armenian, commisioned by abbot Esayi Ncû`ec`i.

(SOURCE)

Patron: Rome; United States Army Special Forces.

St. Philip Neri is the patron of U.S. Army Special Forces!? I wonder why that is!

Faith sharing bump.

I am waiting for you.

Wonderful tapestry of quotes.

"By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made" bump.