October 24-25, 2009
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 31:7-9 Hebrews 5:1-6 Mark 10:46-52
If you had the opportunity to glimpse the future, would you? Would it make a difference if you knew you could not change anything, that it was already set in stone…..or what would you do if you knew that the future COULD be altered by your actions….but you would not know the ultimate outcome? For example, glimpsing yourself dieing of a heart attack at 50 because of being overweight might compel some serious exercise…but then, there might still be the deadly car accident on your way to the gym….with the same end result (but perhaps you will be 70 or 80?) A number of weeks back we heard of the deaf man being healed by Jesus so that he could HEAR…and today we encounter a blind man who longs to SEE. As always, the Scriptures are not just relating simple miracles but conveying the deeper meaning of seeing beyond what our eyes can perceive. How often have we used the expression ‘I didn’t see it coming’…or ‘I never gave him/her a second glance’….or ‘He/she can’t see the forest through the trees’? All of these speak to seeing while at the same time NOT SEEING. For many of us it may frequently be a case of choosing to not see what we don’t want to see, we divert our eyes from an accident scene or from something distasteful. How many of us cover our eyes when we sense the scary part of the movie is approaching? In today’s Gospel, the blind man KNOWS he is not seeing all there is to see….how did he know? If he had never been able to see, how did he know there was more? Yet he did…and wanted more. Keep in mind that with the gift of sight, the blind man’s life necessarily had to change…no longer could he beg and blame his blindness, he now had to find gainful employment…and new pursuits in life. So it is with us…sometimes we are not always aware of the FULLNESS of the gifts for which we ask….sort of like being able to glimpse the future. Do you really want to know how everything turns out?
Thank you for joining with us on this fine Autumn Weekend. The Food Collection hamper for South County Outreach is out on the courtyard, thank you for your contribution. Please remember that next weekend is the start of our honoring our beloved dead with the Celebrations of All Saints and All Souls. Special envelopes are available on the Concierge Shelves for your use in providing the names of your own remembrances. Please take a copy of the Bulletin with you, especially as we move toward Thanksgiving and our Special Thanksgiving Feast on Monday, November 23rd. As you use your eyes to enjoy these autumnal days, remember, you are loved. FKB
