On the Road to Jerusalem, the Blind Man's Cry

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Oct 25, 2015

Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Tucson, AZ

“Go your way; your faith has saved you."

In today’s Gospel passage (Mark 10:46-52), we focus on the healing power of faith. We learn of  Bartimaeus, who was a blind beggar. He was one of the many beggars who would sit on the road to Jerusalem. 

As our Lord draws near, Bartimaeus immediately turns to Jesus. He cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” Our Lord stops and heals the man.

In today’s Gospel, we are invited to reflect on the power of faith. 

Bartimaeus was in a desperate situation. He was determined to get Jesus’ attention, even when those around him told him to be quiet. And then Our Lord heals Bartimaeus and says to him, “Your faith has saved you.” 

My brothers and sisters, today’s Gospel calls us to have the same attitude as Bartimeaus. Although most persons are not physically blind, all of us are blinded by sin. We all need healing.

Yet, today’s story reminds us that if we want to be healed it takes faith on our part. In fact, if we look at the healing Our Lord performed that are  recorded in the Gospels, we can see that

many occurred because of the faith of those  healed. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew and in Luke we hear about the woman suffering from hemorrhages who touches the cloak of Jesus. She says to herself, “If only I can touch His cloak, I shall be cured.” When Jesus sees her faith He heals her and says, “Courage daughter, your faith has saved you." (Matthew 9:22).” 

In another example, Jesus heals two blind men in the Gospel of Matthew (9:29). Jesus asks them if they believe He could heal them. They say yes and Jesus touches their eyes and says, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 

Jesus also heals the centurion’s slave in the Gospel of Luke.  He tells the centurion, “I tell you, not even in Israel, have I found such faith." (Luke 7:9). 

These are only a few examples where Our Lord heals a person because of their strong faith. If we want to be healed of our struggles, if we want to attain eternal life, we too must come to Our Lord in faith.

Yet, faith requires humility. As Bartimaeus cried out to Our Lord for pity, we too must cry out. We must acknowledge our need for the Lord. 

The more we approach with humility, the more Christ will open our eyes and our hearts to His grace. He reveals to us our sins. He reveals to us our disordered desires, and then He is able to bring us healing and salvation. We take courage that Jesus is the Divine Healer! 

Faith also requires perseverance. When Bartimaeus heard that Our Lord was near, he would not give up. He cried out in desperation. Even while being rebuked by those around him, Bartimaeus, cried out to Our Lord all the more. 

And then, when Bartimaeus realized that Jesus was calling him, he threw off his cloak and sprang up to meet Jesus. In other words, he threw aside everything he had so that he could come to Jesus! 

So it is with us. If we want healing in our lives, if we want to be saved from our sins, then we too must humble ourselves. We too must persevere in our faith and throw aside anything that prevents us from becoming all who God calls us to be.

I must say that I am very encouraged by the humility and perseverance of the many faithful here at Saints Peter and Paul. So many of you are extremely devoted to the sacrament of confession! 

Please, I encourage you, keep on coming to confession, no matter how much you may

wear us priests out! No matter how much we fall, we must continue to persevere in faith! We must continue to cry out to Our Lord with a humble and contrite heart saying, "Jesus,  Son of David, have pity on me.”

Jesus is the Divine Healer. He has come into our world to heal us and save us from our sins. Let us persevere in our faith with humility so that we can receive the saving power of God and attain eternal life. For it is our faith that will save us! Amen!

Did you enjoy this post? There are many more sermons by Fr. John Paul Shea on this blog. You may like this one:

Repentence for the Forgiveness of Sins

Pope Francis Comes to North America, and Catholic Pundits Can't Agree on the Outcome

by Lawrence Fox 

Curiosity kills the cat.

Pope Francis visits USA Sept. 22-27, 2015

While driving home from Lincoln, Nebraska, when Pope Francis was visiting the United States, I turned on the car radio to hear what was being said.

I heard visceral rhetoric opposed to the Pope's visit, complaining about what he didn't say, and jubilant rhetoric in favor of words they imagined he said. I tried my best not to engage the conversation on either side. Years ago I was told, “We are Catholics and disciples of Jesus Christ and not disciples of mad and sometimes foolish people.” 

Catholic pundits rejecting the Deposit of Faith -- as captured in the encyclicals Casti Connubi by Pope Pius XI and Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VI -- castigated Pope Francis for seeking an end to capital punishment among the modern nations.

It seems many forgot that it was Pope Saint John Paul II who outlined in his encyclical, Gospel of Life, the moral argument against capital punishment when other options, such as permanent incarceration, were available. It was stated that Pope Francis did not speak clear enough on the horrors of abortion before Congress. 

"The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development. This conviction has led me to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. Every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes." Pope Francis before Congress with Speaker of the House Catholic John Boehner weeping. 

Many forgot that Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta spoke about the dire consequences of abortion in 1994 before U.S. President Bill Clinton, members of the United Nations and U.S. Congress, and students at various universities. "But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself." She spoke also of contraception: "The way to plan the family is natural family planning, not contraception." 

Blessed Mother Teresa warned that tolerance for such an evil would result in a greater evil -- nuclear war. And it appears the world – unrepentant for its sins of abortion -- is going merrily into hell in a hand basket as all the conditions for nuclear World War III are emerging in the Middle East.

I cannot think of one politician who publicly changed his or her position on abortion as a result of Mother Teresa’s comments. If someone did then, “Praise God!”

I remember a young woman in charge of the youth in my parish, saying, “My greatest inspiration is Mother Teresa of Calcutta.” Months later she invited speakers from Planned Parenthood to speak to the youth about human sexuality without allowing their parents to attend the presentation. So much talk -- with no conversion of heart.

"At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future." Pope Francis told members of Congress

Most of the world heard Mother Teresa speak about the gift of human life and so what? Even after it was revealed that Planned Parenthood alters the abortion procedure to provide living children for body parts, Catholics and Christians still support Planned Parenthood. Does anyone really think that if Pope Francis used the word “abortion” before Congress anything would change? I certainly do not.

Blessed John Paul II wrote eloquently about the gift of human sexuality. Pope Benedict spoke about the philosophical errors promoting same-sex unions. I cannot think of one politician who publicly changed his or her position on same-sex unions as a result of encountering Catholic teaching.

More often than not, we hear, “God does not make junk.” It’s a theological argument in favor of same-sex unions. Again, so much talk -- with no conversion of heart.

"Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?" Pope Francis's address before Congress on Sept. 24, 2015 

Some castigated Pope Francis for talking about migrants living on a common continent. It was Saint John Paul II who said, there is not a North or South America, only one America. Prudent? I don’t know, but who can know the mind of God? 

“Take care not to be like mad and foolish people who set themselves up to investigate and judge the deeds and habits of God’s servants. Those who do this deserve severe correction.” St. Catherine of Sienna wrote in her letter to Caterina di Scetto (a Dominican laywoman) (Siena Passion for the Truth; Compassion for Humanity page 28)

Sound advice for most Catholic pundits. 

Lawrence Fox also writes biting satire:

U.S. President Creates Bureau of Vital Fetal Organs

NOTHING is Impossible with God

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Oct. 11, 2015

Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Tucson, AZ

In today’s Gospel (Mark 10:17-30), Jesus

encounters the rich young man. As Jesus is setting out on a journey, a man runs up, kneels down before Him and  asks what he must do to attain eternal life. 

Our Lord reminds him of the commandments. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal, and so on…
The man says that he already observes all the commandments. Yet, he is still not satisfied. He knows something is missing in his life. 

So Our Lord says to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. At that statement, his face fell,

and he went away sad, for he had many possessions." 

Today's Gospel reminds us of our need for God. Each of us was created for an intimate relationship with our Divine Maker. Like the rich man in today’s Gospel, we all have a hunger for this divine union. Sin, as we know, separates us from God. So Our Lord reminds us we must avoid sin -- if we want eternal life. Keep the commandments. 

Yet, the man emphasizes that he keeps all the commandments. He lives a good life. Yet, he is still not satisfied.

His desire was deeper. He already had everything he could want in life because he was rich. Yet, he leaves Jesus’ presence sad. He was too tied down to the world, and he was not happy. His attachment to the world prevented him from following God’s call. He could not become all that God called him to be. 

Priestly Ordination of Fr. John Paul Shea

My brothers and sisters, in some way each of us are like the rich young man in today’s Gospel. Each of us desires God. Every person -- whether they realize it or not -- desires Truth. This desire is part of the essence of our very being because we were created in God’s image. Yet, we often come  short of true happiness and true freedom because we are tied down to the things of the world.

Instead of seeking God first in our lives, we seek what is of the world such as money or relationships or success or pleasures. We

hold onto material things instead of what truly makes us satisfied. 

If we have many possessions then it becomes easier to distance ourselves from God. Yet, even without a lot of possessions, we can distance ourselves from God and His plan for our lives. Many persons who are wealthy devote their lives to God and His Kingdom.

But what is most important is our attitude toward the things that we do have! Do we place the things of the world above our relationship with God and His will for our lives?

 
In fact, God is calling many young persons in our Church today to a vocation in the priesthood or religious life, but too many do not answer this call because they are too caught up in the things of the world. 

Married couples are called by God to place their entire marriage and family into God’s hands. Yet, many couples today do not do even get married. Instead, they cohabitate. They take the easy and worldly way out. It will not lead them to eternal life. Like the rich man, cohabiting couples are turning away sad from our Lord’s call in their lives, whether they recognize it or not. 

Today’s Gospel teaches us that no matter what state of life we are in today, no matter what we have done in the past, no matter how much material wealth we may own, God is

calling each one of us to go deeper in our relationship with Him. Yet, our relationship with God requires our commitment.

Faith is not timid! No! True discipleship is not about following Our Lord on our own conditions and terms. True discipleship is not about putting the things of the world first in our lives. True discipleship requires surrendering ourselves to the will of God. True discipleship requires the willingness to give up or change whatever God asks of us.

After Our Lord speaks of the difficulty for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God, the disciples are astonished: “Then who can be

saved?” Jesus offers them the million dollar answer: “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

All things ARE possible for God! He will give us the grace to leave anything that holds us back from true joy with Him for eternity. He will give us the grace to let go of any behavior or lifestyle that prevents us from entering into eternal life. But, we must surrender ourselves to Him.

When we surrender our lives to God unconditionally, we will become all He calls us to be. It is only by surrendering our will over to God that we can inherit eternal life. Let us take the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s Gospel to heart. For our world and everything in it is passing away. Let us focus on what truly matters.

Who is Fr. John Paul Shea: From Mormon to Catholic Priest