30th Sunday in ordinary time, cycle B

"Help me to see!"

Gospel reading: Mark 10:46-52

It's sad when we have lost the the spontaneous happiness of children who treat the world as a magical place and replace it with a wounded, hopeless view of the world.  Eventually, it is a question of whether we could see God or we are so caught up with pictures of desolation around us that we become a part of this sad world.

In the book of Jeremiah, the people shall cry as they are led back to the promised land, knowing that it is God who is guiding them along the way.

In the gospel, Bartimaeus' sight was restored simply because of his deep faith, "I want to see."

In order to really "see" we have to challenge if what we're seeing today is the picture of God or it is man's own doing - the pictures of extreme luxury vs. poverty and the concepts of happiness and sadness that goes within each picture.  Ask: "Is the picture of pomp and luxury in the midst of a sad world a true picture of God?

Secondly, let us "see" what lies within the hearts of people.  Of course, people in level 1 would not have any capacity to enter this level because they are tied up with luxury, power, and fame.  But let us pray that we may see the inner beauty of people.

Third, let us "really see" as what heaven should really look like while still here on earth.  This is what Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta saw in the poor.  It changed her whole life.  The third level demands a radical change of life.  In order to see heaven here on earth, we have to sacrifice our interests and dreams - all for the sake of love for Jesus.  Only then can we see the true picture of "heaven" and commit our whole lives for this purpose - to be living saints on earth.