Church of the
Annunciation

Can you imagine how tired Jesus must have been, walking day after day, from town to town, constantly being bombarded by those who followed him, sought to see him or were brave enough to ask him for healing. We all have those days when we would just like to be left alone, to have some space and peace and quiet.

Yet, Jesus moves on, stops, listens, heals, teaches and engages His followers day after day. Today, our Gospel is a lesson in Compassion and Faith. Bartimaeus just does not give up. Even when the crowd told him to be quiet, he “kept calling out all the more.” 

We see today the compassion that Jesus has for this blind man. We might also want to look more deeply into the story and recognize the FAITH of the blind man. Jesus responds with compassion and gently asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimeaus was persistent, he had courage, he didn’t give up, “Master, I want to see!” 

What about our FAITH? How persistent are we in our belief that God will answer our  prayers? As part of our daily prayer, once we say, “Thank you God for all the good gifts you bestow upon me,” we might remember that our compassionate God daily asks, “What do YOU want me to do for you?” Like Bartimeaus, can you have courage, be stubborn and have FAITH?

~Fr. Jerry