Memory of the Church
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I am the good shepherd,
my sheep listen to my voice,
and they become
one flock and one fold.
.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Mark 10,46-52
They reached Jericho; and as he left Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus -- that is, the son of Timaeus -- a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and cry out, 'Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.' And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, 'Son of David, have pity on me.' Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him here.' So they called the blind man over. 'Courage,' they said, 'get up; he is calling you.' So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, 'What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man said to him, 'Rabbuni, let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has saved you.' And at once his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is passing by and, with all the voice, he cries out his despair: "Son of David, have mercy on me!" It is a simple, direct cry. And it is the prayer that the tradition of the Christian East also calls the "prayer of the heart." The crowd - a considerable crowd, Mark notes, tries to silence him. This is not common in the Gospels, yet it happens that a majority culture that pushes one to think only of oneself leads many to be even cruel, as in this case where the crowd tries to silence Bartimaeus. It is then more than plausible because it is normal to think that the poor always annoy. But for Bartimaeus there is no hope of recovery other than a cry for help. This is why he raises his voice even louder to drown out the noise of the crowd. Jesus hears his cry and stops and summons him. Bartimaeus, hearing that Jesus is calling him, leaps to his feet and starts running towards him. He still cannot see, but that friendly voice speaks to his heart and immediately Bartimaeus feels his sight return. Blessed were the eyes of Bartimaeus that as soon as they opened saw the good face of Jesus! Blessed is the heart that with his prayer can begin to see and follow the Lord.