Wednesday, May 29, 2024

30-MAY-'24 Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time


Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 350


Reading 1

1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12

Beloved:

Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk

so that through it you may grow into salvation,

for you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings

but chosen and precious in the sight of God,

and, like living stones,

let yourselves be built into a spiritual house

to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices

acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.


You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,

a holy nation, a people of his own,

so that you may announce the praises of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.


Once you were no people

but now you are God’s people;

you had not received mercy

but now you have received mercy.


Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners

to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.

Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles,

so that if they speak of you as evildoers,

they may observe your good works

and glorify God on the day of visitation.


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 100:2, 3, 4, 5

R. (2c) Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.


Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

serve the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful song.

R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.


Know that the LORD is God;

he made us, his we are;

his people, the flock he tends.

R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.


Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

his courts with praise;

Give thanks to him;

bless his name.

R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.


The LORD is good:

his kindness endures forever,

and his faithfulness, to all generations.

R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.


Alleluia

John 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

whoever follows me will have the light of life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel

Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,

Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,

sat by the roadside begging.

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,

he began to cry out and say,

“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.

But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man, saying to him,

“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”

He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.

Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”

Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”

Immediately he received his sight

and followed him on the way.


Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections


Crying Out to Jesus


As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” Mark 10:46–47


How do you pray? Do you ever “cry out” to Jesus with deep conviction and intensity? This blind man, Bartimaeus, sets for us a wonderful example of how we should pray to our Lord. First of all, the blind man was in a state of need. His blindness symbolizes every weakness and need you have in life. So what is it that you struggle with the most in life? What is your greatest habitual sin? Or what causes you the most grief?


Seeing our weakness is the first step. Once we are aware of our greatest needs, we must also “cry out” to our Lord just as Bartimaeus did. Upon hearing that it was Jesus, Bartimaeus somehow sensed within his soul that Jesus wanted to cure him. How did he sense this? He listened to the voice of God within. Yes, he heard the commotion of many speaking about Jesus as He walked by. But this alone could not have compelled him to cry out and to know that Jesus was the source of the mercy he needed. That which compelled him was the clear voice of God, a prompting from the Holy Spirit, within his soul, revealing to him that he needed Jesus and that Jesus wanted to cure him.


At first, those around him rebuked Bartimaeus and told him to be quiet. And if Bartimaeus would have been weak in faith, he may have listened to the crowd and, in despair, remained silent. But it is quite clear that he not only ignored the rebukes of others, he “kept calling out all the more.”


Bartimaeus gives us here a double witness of how we must turn to our Lord. First, we must sense His gentle but clear presence within our soul. We must recognize His voice and His promptings of grace. He wants to heal us, and His presence in our lives must be sensed within. Secondly, we must become intensely fixed upon that voice within. The crowds who rebuked Bartimaeus are symbolic of the many “voices” and temptations we experience in life that try to keep us from faithfully and fervently crying out to the God who speaks to us. Nothing should deter us from our wholehearted determination to call to Jesus with our need.


Reflect, today, upon Bartimaeus being an image of yourself. See yourself in desperate need of our Lord and listen for His clear voice. Do you hear Him? Do you sense Him walking by? As you do, cry out to Him with fervor, intensity, and conviction. And if you find that there are temptations that try to silence your prayer and faith, increase your intensity and cry out “all the more” to our Lord. He will hear you, call you to Himself and give you that grace which He desires to bestow.


Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body


“IF ANYONE THIRSTS...” (JN 7:37)


“Be as eager for milk as newborn babies.” —1 Peter 2:2


Some of you may have missed out on Pentecost this year because, even after forty days of Lent and fifty days of Easter, you did not thirst that much for the Holy Spirit. Jesus continues to cry out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me; let him drink who believes in Me. Scripture has it: ‘From within him rivers of living water shall flow.’ (Here He was referring to the Spirit)” (Jn 7:37-39).


To receive the Spirit, we must thirst. Thirst is one of the strongest human desires, and the thirst of a nursing baby is one of the best examples of this. Thus, the Lord commands us: “Be as eager for milk as newborn babies — pure milk of the Spirit to make you grow unto salvation” (1 Pt 2:2).


If we were not thirsty on Pentecost Sunday, why, on the Thursday after Pentecost, should we expect to be as thirsty as newborn babies for their mothers’ milk? We can be this thirsty because the Lord is at work. This week, the Lord has repeatedly called you to stifle the desires of the flesh and thirst for the things of the Spirit (see Gal 5:17). After Pentecost Sunday, you may have at least started to thirst a little more for the things of God. Just the grace to read the Bible teaching in this book is one of God’s ways of increasing your thirst for the “pure milk of the Spirit.”


Maybe your thirst isn’t great, but it is greater. Right now, pray for either a greater thirst or a new Pentecost. Receive Pentecost now or very soon. Thirst as an infant thirsts.


Prayer:  Father, may I want life in the Spirit more than I want pleasure.


Promise:  “Jesus asked him, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ ‘Rabboni,’ the blind man said, ‘I want to see.’ Jesus said in reply, ‘Be on your way. Your faith has healed you.’ ” —Mk 10:51-52


Praise:  When tempted to give in to shame over past sins already confessed, Rhonda recites Psalm 34. “Look to Him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame” (Ps 34:6).


Reflection 3

The Servants of the Word


What Do You Want Me to Do for You?


Have you ever encountered a once in a life-time opportunity you knew you could not pass up? Such a moment came for a blind and destitute man, named Bartimaeus. He was determined to get near the one person who could meet his need. He knew who Jesus was and had heard of his fame for healing, but until now had no means of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah.


Seeking Jesus with effort and persistence pays off

It took a lot of "guts" (courage) and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the din of a noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he made his way out of town. Why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man's persistent shouts? He was disturbing their peace and interrupting Jesus' discourse. It was common for a rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst and thus caught the attention of Jesus.


Goodness and mercy follows those who put their trust in God

This incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. The blind man was determined to get Jesus' attention and he was persistent in the face of opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him because he was disturbing his talk and his audience. Jesus showed that acting was more important than talking. This man was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. A great speaker can command attention and respect, but a man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart is loved more.


What do you want Jesus to do for you?

Why did Jesus put a question to Bartimaeus - "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus wanted to draw out of him a personal response of faith and trust in his power to heal and make whole. Jesus commends Bartimaeus for recognizing who he is with the eyes of faith and grants him physical sight as well. Do you recognize the Lord Jesus with "eyes of faith" as your merciful Lord and healer? Ask the Lord Jesus to strengthen your faith that you may draw near to him and receive his grace and mercy.


Prayers

My merciful Jesus, You are constantly passing by, drawing me to Yourself by Your divine presence. Give me the grace I need in order to see my need and to call out to You with all my heart. May I never be deterred from this fervent prayer, dear Lord, and when temptation sets in, may I call out all the more. Jesus, I trust in You.


Lord Jesus, may I never fail to recognize my need for your grace and mercy. Strengthen my faith and trust in you that I may seek your presence daily and listen to your word with a readiness to follow you who are my All.


Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy


Reflection 150: Avoiding the Trap of Human Opinion

Does it matter what others think of you?  In other words, should you be concerned about the “opinions” of others?  Yes and no.  No, we should not be concerned in the sense that the only “opinion” that matters is that which is true.  And the Truth is that which is in the Mind of God.  And that Truth is not an opinion, it is the Truth.  So, no, we ought not worry about opinions that do not reflect the Mind of God.  However, we should be concerned about another’s opinion insofar as our love for them should draw us to help them arrive at the truth.  Some are obstinate and hold to their opinion over the truth no matter what.  This is beyond our control.  But others are open and if we see an open mind and heart, we should also be open to any way that God wants to use us to help them shed their erroneous views in exchange for that which is in the Mind of God (See Diary #763).


Reflect, especially, upon the tendency you have to become overly concerned about what people think or say about you.  Do you allow this to influence you in an unhealthy way?  Do you allow it to affect your own choices and focus in life?  Remind yourself, this day, that all that matters is the truth.  What is in the Mind of God?  That’s what you should be concerned about.  Recommit yourself to that truth and you will experience an immense amount of freedom.


Lord, I turn to You who are the one and only source of all Truth.  I seek to know and believe only that which resides in Your Mind.  I choose this Truth over all the opinions of the world, and I choose to let go of my own opinions, preferring only to embrace what You reveal.  Give me the grace to live always in the Truth.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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