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| “Healing of the Blind Man” by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-11 |
Reading 1: Sirach 42:15-25
Now will I recall God’s
works;
what I have seen, I will describe.
At God’s word were his works
brought into being;
they do his will as he has
ordained for them.
As the rising sun is clear to
all,
so the glory of the LORD
fills all his works;
Yet even God’s holy ones must
fail
in recounting the wonders of
the LORD,
Though God has given these,
his hosts, the strength
to stand firm before his
glory.
He plumbs the depths and
penetrates the heart;
their innermost being he
understands.
The Most High possesses all
knowledge,
and sees from of old the
things that are to come:
He makes known the past and
the future,
and reveals the deepest
secrets.
No understanding does he
lack;
no single thing escapes him.
Perennial is his almighty
wisdom;
he is from all eternity one
and the same,
With nothing added, nothing
taken away;
no need of a counselor for
him!
How beautiful are all his
works!
even to the spark and
fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides
forever;
to meet each need, each
creature is preserved.
All of them differ, one from
another,
yet none of them has he made
in vain,
For each in turn, as it
comes, is good;
can one ever see enough of
their splendor?
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Commentary on Sir
42:15-25
This passage begins the fifth
and final section of Sirach’s treatise on Wisdom. Here the author sees the wisdom of God in his
creation. “When it says that ‘by the
word of the Lord his works are done.’ (42:15) [“At God’s word were his works
brought into being;” NAB] 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…” Genesis 1:3, etc.); but the
passage also prepares the way to understand the Word of God made flesh, as we
discover in Jesus Chrst in the new Testament.“[4]
The reference is pointing at the first chapter of St. John’s
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:2-3, 4-5,
6-7, 8-9
R. (6a) By the word of the Lord the heavens were
made.
Give thanks to the LORD on
the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre
chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully,
with shouts of gladness.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
For upright is the word of
the LORD
and all his works are
trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD
the earth is full.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
By the word of the Lord the
heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth
all their host.
He gathers the waters of the
sea as in a flask;
in cellars he confines the
deep.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Let all the earth fear the
Lord;
let all who dwell in the
world revere him.
For he spoke, and it was
made;
he commanded, and it stood
forth.
R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
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Commentary on Ps
33:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
This hymn of praise is an
invitation to those who follow the Lord to rejoice in His grace. The psalmist
asks that a new song be sung. There is
always a newness to praise since the song is sung in unique circumstances each
time. The response provides a sense of
God’s omnipresence and creative gift.
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Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho
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.
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Reflection:
How many times have we been
challenged to “prove the existence of God”?
Haven’t we each been confronted by individuals who are either atheistic
or agnostic who demand that we show proof that God exists? If we point to miracles like the one described
in St. Mark’s Gospel they would say – “There was a rational explanation to the
man’s recovery.” If we point to other
biblical miracles they dismiss them as myth or legend; at worst hearsay or
superstition.
In the highly recommended but
rarely seen movie “Expelled”,
Ben Stein confronts the famous (infamous) atheist Richard Dawkins and asks him
about the origins of life on earth. “If
not God, who?” After stammering around a
bit Dawkins finally concludes that aliens from another planet put life here.
What is our physical proof
that God exists? As Sirach says “As the rising sun is clear to all,
so the glory of the Lord
fills all his works;” This
realization crashes down upon us as we wonder at the immensity and complexity
of God’s creation. How could there be
any other explanation for this universal order?
In that grander plan of the
Lord, we see His Son, by a simple act of will, restore sight to a child of the
Heavenly Father. Set against the awesome
power of creation we set that act in perspective. How much more love does the Father have for
us whom he created and set in his garden?
Pax
[2]
The picture is “Healing of the Blind Man” by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-11
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
[4]
The Navarre Bible: “Wisdom
Books”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton ,
NJ
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