Homily from the Parish Priest for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mass Readings: Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52
If you’ve ever been caught up in a noisy crowd – a demonstration or a football match or the like – you might be able to imagine the scene in this Gospel. This blind beggar Bartimaeus yelling at the top of his voice: "Son of David, Son of David" and all sorts of people trying to calm the poor man down. But nothing they could do could restrain him. The noise getting louder and louder as Jesus got nearer and nearer. And no doubt as Our Lord called Bartimaeus over to him there was some shouting and jeering because these people were in a hurry. They were in fact following Jesus to Jerusalem. That’s where we are in this Gospel narrative. They are following Jesus swiftly on to the passion, to die for themselves, for their nation, and they weren't for hanging around.
We have the gift through our Jesuit styles of prayer, of the tradition handed down from St Ignatius, to imagine the scene for a minute. Maybe to put ourselves in there – or perhaps even to imagine what it might have been like for poor Bartimaeus – as he’s the central character. Bartimaeus meets Jesus and sees again in the middle of a journey and in the middle of a crowd. But when his eyes are opened what does he see? We know, presumably, that he sees clearly those around him who had jostled him: Jesus' followers eager to go to Jerusalem with the wonder-worker they’ve been following. And yet he sees something more, surely: he sees also that road ahead, the long road ahead up to the city where Jesus and so surely he too will suffer more. And yet in the midst of all this the shouting stops, he joins the disciples, and he walks on. Because now something has happened – through the encounter with Our Lord he is calm and now – having seen and met the Lord – and seen the road – the pilgrimage ahead – with all its challenges - he sees so clearly.
An experience of conversion no less. For when the scales are lifted from the eyes of this blind man it is not so much that he his physical sight is returned which really matters. Rather it is who and what is revealed before his tired eyes for he sees not deja-vu but in a new light. What does he see? I’d like to imagine maybe he sees not enemies but fellow disciples journeying through life with him whom he knows he needs to support him. Maybe too he sees not drudgery up ahead but a road which will inevitably embrace suffering but which surely leads to new life transformed, a heavenly Jerusalem. Above all he sees his Master, his Lord Jesus, come to join him and take him with him on this strange journey of life with all its struggles and blindnesses yet with all its joys and moments of clarity.
Certainly a miracle had occurred that day on that road. It had occurred though not independently of the crowd. It is true the stirrings of conversion emerge in Bartimaeus through a very powerful experience of the healing power of Jesus. But this miracle happens in the midst of that community of faith. At this time in the universal Church and in the local Church here in dioceses, in parishes, in small groups, we’re embarking on a pathway which launches the Synod called by Pope Francis, a journey together which invites us to listen to each other and to discern where God is calling us in our lives. It requires an openness to our eyes being opened and our ears attuned to listen to each other in the community of the Church and to listen especially to those on the margins, those who normally don’t have a voice or are not seen. Through this process we’re all being called to be in that mindset of looking around is in a new way, to allow God to show us how we might journey together embracing the struggles also, to look and listen with the sensitivity of the blind beggar who is offered new life. New life not just for him but for the crowd, for the community, for the whole of humanity.
This weekend here at Farm Street we’re focussing our attention in the newsletter article on the Jesuits’ worldwide mission to the young. Please do take a look at Fr Michael Holman’s article. To listen to these voices is clearly central to the mission of the Church and to our parish, and is such an important group to focus our attention on for the Synod Pathway too. We hope that we will hear from young voices alongside all others as we begin our series of meetings and consultation. There will be more about this very shortly…
Where does Jesus meet us as we are on the road today? As we celebrate as a faith community this Mass we pray to our Lord for healing outward and inward for ourselves and for each other as the Lord is substantially present again on this altar as the innocent victim who walked the path to his death for us and as our guest who invites us to embrace the mystery of our faith in him who brings us healing and peace and wants to offer new life to our world.
Fr Dominic Robinson SJ