Dear Friends,
The 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B (27th October 2024), presents Scripture passages that provide a vision of God as a tender, loving Father. The prophet Jeremiah, in an unusual twist in style and tone, speaks of God’s promise to deliver the remnants of Israel from exile. (Jeremiah 31: 7-9) He says that God will look out especially for the marginalized and the most vulnerable, such as the blind and disabled and also expectant mothers. God is seen as one who will console and guide those considered to be unimportant in society. They are not to be excluded but treated as an integral part of those who will be brought home from exile. God excludes no one from His salvific plan. He is a Father to the whole people of Israel.
The manifestation of God’s passion to care for the vulnerable and marginalized reaches its peak in Jesus’ healing ministry: curing the sick; cleansing people with leprosy; giving sight to the blind. In the Gospel of Mark, as the last miracle performed before He enters Passion Week, Jesus grants the gift of sight to Bartimaeus, a blind man begging by the roadside. (Mark 10: 46-52) Once his sight is restored, Bartimaeus follows Jesus “on the way” as a true disciple.
Bartimaeus’ call to Jesus is a powerful prayer, one that I pray every day: “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” I invite you to try saying this prayer repeatedly during the day. I believe you will be surprised by the consolation that flows from this one small act. May the Lord remove from us any blindness that keeps us from truly seeing the mercy and salvation He offers. May we echo the Psalmist’s words: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”
Florida has come now into the election time with the early voting that started on 21 October. This is a perilous time for our country, a time when emotions run high on both sides. We might be filled with anxiety for the future of our nation; some may even be filled with anger and frustration at the state of the nation. Such anger and frustration might tempt some to give up hope and decide not to vote at all.
I urge you: please exercise your right to vote and do so as a well-informed voter. An uninformed voter is a danger to society. In his book, Life and Holiness, Thomas Merton says, “The Christian who is misinformed; who is subject to the demagoguery of extremists in the press, on the radio or on TV . . . can do an enormous amount of harm to society, to the Church and to himself. With sincere intentions of serving the cause of Christ, he may cooperate in follies and injustices of disastrous magnitude. It is therefore vitally important for the Catholic to control his zeal and moderate his enthusiasm for particular causes, until he can accurately estimate where these tendencies may ultimately lead We must learn to cultivate a sound judgment in affairs that affect the very destiny of the human race” (Life and Holiness, pp. 143- 144). Please go to Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website (https://flaccb.org) for materials that can help form our conscience for voting.
We keep in our prayer our brothers and sisters in Florida who are suffering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We will also be helping with their rebuilding effort through a special disaster relief collection next weekend.
I wish you God’s Peace in these days of anxiety and tension. Let us trust our nation to the merciful and sacred Heart of Jesus.
Be Blessed. With Love,
Fr. John