October 24, 2021 - The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October23,2021
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the gospel, we hear of the deeply moving encounter between Jesus and the blind man named Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus represents each us, all-men and all-women with particular and numerous weaknesses and needs down through the centuries - into our own time and place. Bartimaeus has the faith to turn to Jesus for an answer. In fact, he repeatedly calls out to Jesus, even though he is rebuked by some and told to be silent by others. He perseveres and Jesus reaches out to him and fulfills his prayerful request by restoring his sight.
Many times, we call out to the Lord to heal the sick and dying. I have known numerous people who have been cured of physical ills through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes - several in San Mateo County. Yet we know well that such cures are rare. Nevertheless, though the illness is not removed a peace of heart, mind, and soul comes to the sick and dying in preparation for eternity. It even comes in time to those who grieve the loss of a loved one.
The more common blindness is that of the heart, mind, and soul. The most grievous sin is for men and women to place themselves above God. Sin blinds. When Jesus removes mortal sin from the soul through His death and restores life through His Resurrection, a far greater gift is imparted. The primary mission of our Divine Lord and Savior is to save us for life eternal in heaven. If there were only one soul in need of salvation, Jesus would die for that one soul. If you are such a soul, get on your knees (or bow your head), contritely repent of your sins, and then make a complete and sincere confession to a priest in order to start again. The sight of your heart, mind, and soul will be restored with certainty, so that if you persevere you may gaze on God face to face in the Beatific Vision. Our Lord is so good. Yours in our Lord and our Lady, Fr. Mark G. Mazza, Pastor