Illustration: Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus, by Johann Heinrich Stöver, 1861
Pope Francis’ Previous Homily for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel Reflection (Mark 10:46-52)
As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large 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 to say, ‘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. ‘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?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
Pope Francis previous Homily 2021
Dear brothers and sisters,
The Gospel of today’s liturgy tells of Jesus who, on leaving Jericho, restored the sight of Bartimaeus, a blind man begging by the roadside. It was an important encounter, the last one before the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem for the Passover. Bartimaeus had lost his sight, but not his voice! When he heard that Jesus was about to pass by, he began to shout: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”.
And he shouted and shouted. The disciples and the crowd, annoyed by his shouting, rebuked him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder: “Son of David, have mercy on me!”. Jesus heard him and stopped immediately.
God always listens to the cry of the poor and was not at all disturbed by Bartimaeus’ voice.
On the contrary, Jesus recognized that he was full of faith. It was a faith that was not afraid to insist, to knock at the door of God’s heart, in spite of not being understood and being reproached.
And here is the root of the miracle. In fact, Jesus said to him: “Your faith has made you well”.
The faith of Bartimaeus is evident in his prayer. It is not a timid and standard prayer.
First of all, he called the Lord “Son of David”: that is, he recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the King who would come into the world. Then he called Him by name, confidently; “Jesus”.
He is not afraid of Him, he did not remain at a distance. And so, from hos heart, he shouted out his whole drama to God who is his friend: “Have mercy on me!” Just that prayer: “Have mercy on me!”
He does not ask for some loose change as he does with passers-by. No.
He asked for everything from the One who can do everything.
He had been asking people for loose change; but he was now asking Jesus for everything..
“Have mercy on me, have mercy on all that I am”.
He did not ask for a favor, but presented himself: he asked for mercy on his person, on his life.
It was not a small request, but it was so beautiful because it is a cry for mercy, that is, for compassion, for God’s mercy, for his tenderness.
Bartimaeus did not use many words. He says what is essential and entrusted himself to the love of God, who can make his life flourish again by doing what is humanly impossible.
This was why he did not ask the Lord for alms, but made everything be seen – his blindness and his suffering which was far more than not being able to see. His blindness was the tip of the iceberg; but there must have been wounds, humiliations, broken dreams, mistakes, remorse in his heart.
He prayed with his heart. And what about us? When we ask for God’s grace do we include in our prayer our own history, our wounds, our humiliations, our broken dreams, our mistakes, our regrets?
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Let us recite this prayer today. All of us, let us ask ourselves: “What is my prayer like?”
Is it courageous, does it contain the good perseverance of Bartimaeus, does it know how to “grasp” the Lord as he passes by, or is it rather content with making a formal greeting every now and then, when I remember? Those lukewarm prayers that do not help at all.
Furthermore, is my prayer “substantial”, does it bare my heart before the Lord?
Do I bring my story and my life experience to him?
Or is it anaemic, superficial, ritualistic, without feeling and without heart?
When faith is alive, prayer is heartfelt: it does not beg for spare change, it is not reduced to momentary needs. We must ask everything of Jesus, who can do everything. Do not forget this.
We must ask everything of Jesus, with my insistence before Him. He cannot wait to pour out his grace and joy into our hearts; but unfortunately, it is we who keep our distance, through timidness, laziness or unbelief.
So many of us, when we pray, do not believe that the Lord can work miracles.
I am reminded of the story – which I witnessed – of the father who was told by the doctors that his nine-year-old daughter, who was in the hospital, would not survive through the night;.
He took a bus and travelled a distance of seventy kilometres to the Shrine of Our Lady.
The shrine was closed and, clinging to the gate, spent the whole night praying: “Lord, save her! Lord, give her life!” He prayed to Our Lady, all night long, crying out to God, crying from his heart.
Then, in the morning, when he returned to the hospital, he found his wife crying.
And he thought: “She is dead”. And his wife said: “Nobody understands, nobody understands.
the doctors say it’s a strange thing, she seems to be healed”.
The cry of this man, who asked for everything, was heard by the Lord who gave him everything.
This is not a story: I saw this myself, in the other diocese.
Do we have this courage to pray?
Let us ask everything of the One who can give us everything, like Bartimaeus, who was a great teacher, a great master of prayer.
May he, Bartimaeus, be our example with his concrete, persistent and courageous faith.
And may Our Lady, the praying Virgin, teach us to turn to God with all our heart, confident that He listens attentively to every prayer.