15 Nov 2010, Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
Rv 1:1-4; 2:1-5

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him,
to show his servants what must happen soon.
He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
who gives witness to the word of God
and to the testimony of Jesus Christ by reporting what he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud
and blessed are those who listen to this prophetic message
and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near.

John, to the seven churches in Asia: grace to you and peace
from him who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits before his throne.

I heard the Lord saying to me:
“To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write this:

“‘The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand
and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this:
“I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,
and that you cannot tolerate the wicked;
you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not,
and discovered that they are impostors.
Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name,
and you have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you:
you have lost the love you had at first.
Realize how far you have fallen.
Repent, and do the works you did at first.
Otherwise, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”’”

Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Responsorial Psalm
R. (Rev. 2:17)

Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.

Gospel
Lk 18:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Meditation: Luke 18:35-43

“Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” (Luke 18:38)

How ironic! Here is this blind man in the midst of a crowd of people who could see—and yet this fellow “saw” Jesus more clearly than all those who had good eyesight! While everyone else tried to shush him—maybe out of embarrassment or misplaced reverence—this fellow knew who Jesus was. He could see that Jesus would never ignore anyone who calls out to him.

It wasn’t just his vision that was keen. This man had very good hearing as well! What if this man had listened to the crowd and kept his mouth shut? He wouldn’t have been healed! But he had heard the Scriptures proclaim that the Messiah would come from David’s lineage: “I have sworn to David my servant: I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages.” (Psalm 89:4-5). Instead of listening to the people around him, he chose to listen to the word of God and to the voice of the Spirit, which told him to cry out in faith!

What an example for us! All around us, we see hardships that might convince us that God doesn’t intervene in people’s lives. We hear philosophies telling us to go it alone. Sometimes we listen to these voices. We try other strategies before we admit we can’t solve a problem by ourselves. But then something shakes us up, and we remember who God is. That’s when we “confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help” (Hebrews 4:16).

The place where we come closest to the throne of grace is at the eucharistic table. At every Mass, Jesus is there to meet us, just as he met the blind beggar. He wants to ask us: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Luke 18:41). All we need to do is open our eyes to his presence and listen for his voice speaking in our hearts. Then we will be eager to cry out to him for the help we need.

So what do you want Jesus to do for you? For your family? For your friends? Don’t be afraid to cry out in faith!

“Lord, I trust in you and not in my own abilities. I give you all my doubts and fears. May they vanish before the victory of your cross and resurrection!”

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