Monday, November 18, 2024

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 1:1-4.2:1-5; Luke 18:35-43)

Crowds are notoriously fickle and like-minded.  One moment they can strongly support a person or team.  The next, because of a mistake or misfortune, they may turn against the same.  Theorists have proposed that in crowds individuals lose their sense of responsibility.  They allow the prevailing mood of the group to control their thinking.  This is especially apparent in Luke’s gospel.

In today’s passage the crowd rebukes the blind beggar for asking help of Jesus.  They are insensitive if not mean to the poor man.  When Jesus is being tried by Pilate, the crowds act with similar hostility.  Three times they call for his crucifixion, more than in any other gospel.  But in both cases the crowds change their dispositions.  In today’s passage they “gave praise to God” after Jesus deals with the blind beggar.  After the crucifixion, the crowds return from Calvary “beating their breasts.”  In both cases the changes are occasioned by experiencing Jesus as the compassion of God.  He gives sight to the blind man.  On the cross he not only prays for his persecutors but promises a repentant thief a place in Paradise.

We too have experienced Jesus as the compassion of God.  He forgives our callowness, lustfulness, and viciousness in the sacrament of reconciliation.  He gives himself as food in the Eucharist so that we might conduct lives worthy of an eternal destiny.  He has told each of us of his love for us in prayer.  We can only give praise to God for our encounter with Jesus.

 

Monday, November 19, 2023

Monday of the Thirty-third Week of Ordinary Time

(I Maccabees 1:10-15.41-43.54-57.62-63; Luke 18:35-43)

Many contemporary Christians suffer a blindness akin to the beggar’s in today’s gospel.  They long to know for sure that Jesus has risen from the dead and will come to judge them at the end of time.  In other words, they want to see the Lord.

In the passage Jesus hears the blind man’s plea and seeks his caller out.  Then he asks what he might do for him.  The beggar requests that he might see and is immediately satisfied.  Of course, he loses no time in following the Lord.

If we want to see, we should follow the blind man’s example.  The Lord is waiting to hear our request.  We should ask, humbly but firmly, for insights into the realities of faith.  When we receive them, we should leave doubts behind to follow the Lord. 

Monday, November 15, 2021

 

Optional Memorial of Saint Albert the Great, bishop

(I Maccabees 1:10-15.41-43.54-57.62-63; Luke 18:35-43)

A blind man enjoyed telling people that he could see.  He did not mean literally but figuratively.  The people would explain something to him, and he would say “I see” to indicate that he understood what they were saying.  In this sense the blind man of today’s gospel sees very well.

The blindman of the gospel sees who Jesus is.  He is the “Son of David,” the royal Messiah endowed with the gift of healing.  He can take away physical ailments like blindness as well as spiritual ailments like sin.  Restored with physical sight, the man wisely follows Jesus to eternal life.

Today’s patron saint, Albert the Great, possessed such spiritual insight.  He could see that his student, Thomas Aquinas, was a theologian of exceptional brilliance.  When Thomas’ classmates called him a “dumb ox,” Albert said that his bellowing one day would resound throughout the world.  Indeed, there has never been written a more comprehensive, coherent, and insightful compendium of theology than Thomas’ Summa Theologica. 

Monday, November 19, 2018

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(Revelation 1:1-4.2:1-5; Luke 18:35-43)

Crowds are notoriously fickle.  One moment they can strongly support a person or team.  The next, because of a mistake or misfortune, they may turn against the same.  Theorists have proposed that in crowds individuals lose their sense of responsibility.  They allow the prevailing mood of the group to control their thinking.  This is especially apparent in Luke’s gospel.

In today’s passage the crowd rebukes the blind beggar for asking help from Jesus.  They are certainly insensitive if not mean to the poor man.  When Jesus is being tried by Pilate, the crowds act with similar hostility.  Three times they call for his crucifixion, more than in any other gospel.  But in both cases the crowds change their dispositions.  In today’s passage it is said that they “gave praise to God.”  After the crucifixion, the crowds return from Calvary “beating their breasts.”  In both instances the cause of the change is the experience of Jesus as the compassion of God.  He gives sight to the blind man.  On the cross he not only prays for his persecutors but promises a repentant thief a place in Paradise.

We too have experienced Jesus as the compassion of God.  He forgives our callowness, lustfulness, and viciousness in the sacrament of reconciliation.  He gives himself as food in the Eucharist so that we might conduct lives worthy of an eternal destiny.  He has told each of us of his love for us in prayer.  We too can only give praise to God for our encounter with Jesus.

Monday, November 20, 2017

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(I Maccabees 1:10-15.41-43.54-57.62-63; Luke 18:35-43)

Faith is sometimes said to be another way of seeing.  Rather than perceiving color, faith finds spiritual lights.  Faith is aware of a God who loves humans.  It accepts the promise of resurrection of the body and eternal life.  In the gospel today faith enables the blind man to recognize Jesus as the “Son of David,” the long-awaited Savior.  This faith would have saved the blind man even if Jesus did not bless him with physical sight.

Determination characterizes the blind man almost as much as his faith.  When the people rebuke him for calling out, he does it all the louder.  Because of his insistence, Jesus notices him.  It might be asked whether the blind man is more interested in attracting attention to himself than in being cured.  Jesus, however, finds him sincere when he grants his request. 

The blind man immediately follows Jesus.  He literally becomes Jesus’ disciple.  We can take him as a model disciple.  His faith, determination, and sincerity before the Lord show us how to better follow Jesus.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(I Maccabees 1:10-15.41-43.54-57.62-63; Luke 18:35-43)

The language of faith is often undercut by popular thinking.  When a person says that she “believes” something, most people hear a modicum of doubt in her voice.  They understand her to mean that she does not know for sure but only thinks that what she says is true.  This kind of qualified assertion is hardly what the Church understands by faith.  Faith is a way of knowing with more certainty, not less, that what is said is true.  The reason for such conviction is that the tenets of faith have been revealed by the Lord.

In the gospel the unnamed blind man, called Bartimaeus in Mark’s version, demonstrates real faith.  Not wavering a bit, he acts on his belief that Jesus is the Messiah by making a scene.  Because such faith is always rewarded, the man receives the sight which he requests.  The gospel adds that he wastes no time to follow Jesus.  True faith in Jesus can do no less.

In a way it is understandable why many people possess faith that is tainted by doubt.  Some Catholics put at the heart of faith things of lesser importance.  A woman, for example, worried that there is one way and no other to pray the rosary.  But the rosary is not part of the liturgy and may be prayed in any dignified way as the Divine Chaplet movement has demonstrated.  Truths at the heart of faith –the Trinity, the Incarnation, the resurrection from the dead, etc. -- are non-negotiable.  We should accept these truths with all our mind and, more importantly, live then with all our heart.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Mmemorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious

(Revelation 1:1-4.2:1-5; Luke 18:35-43)

It is one thing to see, but quite another to see with insight.  A sophomore can look at human tissue through a microscope, but a biologist names the different kinds of cells she sees.  A fifth-grader can read a racing form, but a handicapper will find the probable winners.  What is more important than seeing is having insight.

In the gospel today Jesus enables a blind man to see, and the man sees more in Jesus than a healer.  With insight he recognizes him as the “Son of David,” the Messiah who was to bring about everlasting justice.  He does not go away reveling with his newly-gained physical sight.  Rather he follows Jesus to death and glory in Jerusalem.

 Faith is having insight beyond what one’s eyes see.  We see bread and wine on the altar, but insight tells us that it is the body and blood of Christ.  We see a beggar holding a sign asking for money on a street corner, but insight informs us that it is an image of God.  We see ourselves struggling to believe after hearing about scandal in the Church.  Insight tells us that the humanity of the Church will always be attracted by evil, but still its virtue far outdoes its faults.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

(I Maccabees 1:10-15.41-43.54-57.62-63; Luke 18:35-43)

The language of faith is often undercut by popular thinking. When a person says that she “believes” something, most people hear a modicum of doubt in her voice. They understand her to mean that she does not know for sure but only thinks that what she says is true. This kind of qualified assertion is hardly what the Church understands by faith. Faith is a way of knowing with more certainty, not less, that what is said is true. The reason for such conviction is that the tenets of faith have been revealed by the Lord.

In the gospel the unnamed blind man, called Bartimaeus in Mark’s version, demonstrates real faith. Not wavering a bit, he acts on his belief that Jesus is the Messiah by making a scene. Because such faith is always rewarded, the man receives the sight which he requests. The gospel adds that he wastes no time to follow Jesus. True faith in Jesus can do no less.

In a way it is understandable why many people possess faith that is tainted by doubt. Some of the concepts that the Church has held as part of faith in the past have been abandoned. One example is the literal accuracy of the account of Adam and Eve. Another is the belief that the world is at the center of the universe with the sun revolving around it. But these have always been secondary beliefs. What is at the Heart of faith, called the “hierarchy of beliefs,” is non-negotiable. We should accept those truths with all our minds and, more importantly, live from them.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Memorial of Saint Albert the Great, bishop and doctor of the Church

(Revelation 1:1-4.2:1-5; Luke 18:35-43)

It is one thing to see, but quite another to see with insight. A trainee can look at human tissue through a microscope, but a biologist names the different kinds of cells she sees. A fifth-grader can read a racing form, but a handicapper will more often than not pick winners.

In the gospel today Jesus enables a blind man to see, but the man sees more in Jesus than a healer. He recognizes him as a savior to be followed forever. Similarly, St. Albert the Great, whose feast we celebrate today, was an authority of his time on fauna and fossa, but his greater achievement perhaps was recognizing the glory of God in nature.

Homilette for Monday, November 17, 2008

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious

(Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5; Psalm 1; Luke 18:35-43)

In a recent film, title role character Henry Poole cannot see the face of Christ on the side of his house. “You’re not looking,” protests a woman who believes the image is miraculously produced. Whether or not it is a miracle, the woman is correct in suggesting that faith is a particular way of seeing. Faith looks beyond appearances into the heart of reality. It discerns divinity in the Eucharistic bread, loving care supporting a people devastated by famine, and the eternal destiny of life succumbing to cancer. In the gospel today, the faith of the blind beggar recognizes Jesus as Israel’s long-awaited savior even without the faculty of sight.

Determination characterizes the blind man’s faith as well as conviction. When the people rebuke him – perhaps because they hear his salutation “Son of David” as blasphemy -- he yells all the louder. Because of his clamorous insistence, Jesus responds favorably to the beggar’s request for physical sight.

Finally, the man’s faith propels him to follow Jesus and to praise God. That is, he no longer sits alone but becomes part of the Christian community. Here he will meet like-minded people who have been similarly touched by Jesus’ gracious presence. Together they will comfort one another, call others to their company, and create a better world until Jesus returns in glory.

Homilette for Monday, November 19, 2007

You will find homilettes for all weekdays from October 29 below. I hope that they assist your meditation on the Word of God. cm

Monday, XXXIII Week of Ordinary Time

(Luke 18:35-43)

Faith, we sometimes say, is another way of seeing. Rather than perceiving color, faith ascertains the nature of spiritual realities. Faith is aware of a God who loves us. In the gospel today faith enables the blind man to recognize Jesus as the “Son of David” or, in other words, the long-awaited Savior. Indeed, this faith would have saved the blind man even if Jesus did not bless him with physical sight.

Determination characterizes the blind man almost as much as his faith. When the people rebuke him -- evidently for bothering Jesus -- he calls out all the louder. Only with this insistence does Jesus take notice of him. We might ask if the blind is actually making a pest of himself as many do when they wish to attract the intention of a famous personality. Evidently, however, Jesus does not think so as he treats favorably the man’s request.

The blind man immediately follows Jesus giving glory to God. That is, he becomes Jesus’ disciple. We can take him as a model disciple. His faith, determination, and also forthrightness to ask for what is helpful in service show us how we might better follow Jesus.