Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

“Jesus Healing the Blind”
by El Greco, 1570-75

Readings for Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12
 
Beloved:
Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk
so that through it you may grow into salvation,
for you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
 
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
 
Once you were no people
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy
but now you have received mercy.
 
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners
to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.
Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles,
so that if they speak of you as evildoers,
they may observe your good works
and glorify God on the day of visitation.
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Commentary on 1 Pt 2:2-5, 9-12
 
St. Peter uses Old Testament imagery to encourage his audience. He begins with “you have tasted that the Lord is good,” borrowed from Psalm 34:8, and continues with the cornerstone image from Isaiah 28:16. He tells them to simply follow God’s call, letting themselves be built (not an active image but passive) into what God wishes.
 
The prerogatives of ancient Israel mentioned here are now more fully and fittingly applied to the Christian people: "a chosen race" (cf Isaiah 43:20-21) indicates their divine election (Ephesians 1:4-6); "a royal priesthood" (cf. Exodus 19:6) to serve and worship God in Christ, thus continuing the priestly functions of his life, passion, and resurrection; "a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6) reserved for God, a people he claims for his own (cf. Malachi 3:17) in virtue of their baptism into his death and resurrection. This transcends all natural and national divisions and unites the people into one community to glorify the one who led them from the darkness of paganism to the light of faith in Christ. From being "no people" deprived of all mercy, they have become the very people of God, the chosen recipients of his mercy (cf. Hosea 1:9;2:23).[4]
 
CCC: 1 Pt 2:1-10 2769; 1 Pt 2:4-5 1141, 1179; 1 Pt 2:4 552; 1 Pt 2:5 756, 901, 1268, 1330, 1546; 1 Pt 2:9 709, 782, 803, 1141, 1268, 1546
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 100:2, 3, 4, 5
 
R. (2c) Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
 
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
 
Know that the Lord is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
 
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him;
bless his name.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
 
The Lord is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 100:2, 3, 4, 5
 
Psalm 100 is a communal song of thanksgiving. In this selection the psalmist gives thanks for God’s favor and his unending support in all good things. It affirms God’s saving grace given to his sons and daughters through all generations.
 
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Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
 
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
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Commentary on Mk 10:46-52
 
In St. Mark’s story of the cure of the blind man (see also Matthew 20:29-34 and Luke 18:35-43), it is the way he addresses Jesus that becomes the focus. We are told he address him as, “Son of David.” This is the messianic title applied by Jewish tradition to the one who comes to “heal the blind and the lame and set the prisoners free” (Isaiah 42;6-7). In response to the blind man’s request, “Master, I want to see,” in an almost casual way, Jesus tells him his faith has saved him and, the blind man sees. Not surprisingly the now sighted man follows Jesus.
 
CCC: Mk 10:46-52 2667; Mk 10:48 2616; Mk 10:52 548
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Reflection:
 
What would we ask Jesus if we were sitting beside the road when he came walking by?  It is a good question to think about.  In the case of the Gospel story, when Bartimaeus approached Jesus, is there anyone who could not have known what he wanted?  It was predictable that when Jesus was asked: “What do you want me to do for you?”  The blind man would answer: “Master, I want to see.”
 
If we approached Jesus and he asked us the same question, what would we want him to do for us?  Notice, he does not leave it open ended.  We cannot ask for some boon for another person, he asks specifically what he can do for us.  So, what would you like him to do for you?  Remember, he can do anything, as long as we have faith in his identity, and the power that goes along with it.
 
This is such a personal question that we will not try to go further with it now by using examples.  We will however point out a few things.  First, as you are imagining yourself sitting there and Jesus is walking by and asking you to come to him, understand that in his presence in the Eucharist he is doing just that.  Next, because he is truly here in his glorified body and blood, he wants to give us what we truly need.  He loves us more deeply than we can comprehend.  So if we ask, in faith, for some gift in our lives, as the blind man did, if our faith is strong enough and the gift we ask for is requested with pure intent, it will be given.
 
As we recall once more the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus, let us ask the Lord in prayer for what we truly want and need.  Let us also pray that our faith is strong enough to heal us of our inadequacies so that we might see as clearly as the one who was blind.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture used is “Jesus Healing the Blind” by El Greco, 1570-75
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible except for the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] NAB footnote on 1 Peter 1: 9-10.