30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 25, 2015 – Year B
Readings: Jer 31:7-9 / Psalm 126 / Heb 5:1-6 / Mk 10:46-52
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

All of us rejoice, because we are alive. This is the first day of the rest of our lives, not only in this world, but the life that will never end.

We know that we are all blessed to live in the Blue Ridge Mountains area. The leaves in this part of the world, during the season of Fall, remind us of the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. But we also know that this beautiful scenery around us means nothing, if we don’t have the sense of sight. Our ability to see is indeed something that we should be grateful for, every single day of our lives. It should remind us how good and gracious is our God.

In today’s gospel, St. Mark the Evangelist tells us the story of the blind man Bartimaeus. When he heard that it was Jesus passing by, he didn’t hesitate to make a scene and ask the Lord to have pity on him. Even though the crowd was telling him to be silent, he didn’t give up. Deep in his heart he must have known that Jesus was his only hope. He is his only hope.

We know the rest of the story: After the Lord restored his sight, he immediately followed Him on the way. His action tells us that he wasn’t only cured of his physical blindness, but more importantly, he was healed of his spiritual blindness by receiving the gift of faith. It is only through the eyes of our faith that we will be able to recognize God’s presence in our lives.

Many years ago, a captain of a British slave ship, by the name of John Newton, regained his faith during a storm at sea. He explained how he regained his spiritual eyesight in his famous hymn, which we sang at the beginning of this Mass: the song, Amazing Grace. In the first few lines, John Newton wrote these words: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I was once lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

With the help of the eyes of our faith, we will be able to see the world in its proper perspective. We will continue to realize that life is a gift. As a result of our clear spiritual vision, we will also see the blessings that we have. This will enable us to pray meaningfully, with all the members of God’s family, all the prayers in the Eucharistic celebration. And with faith, we will be able to say, with our whole minds, hearts, and souls, the words in today’s psalm: “God has indeed done great things for us.”