Sunday:       Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Date:         October 28, 2012
Year:         B
The readings: [Jer. 31:7-9; Heb.5:1-6; Mk. 10:46-52]
The message:  "My teacher, let me see again."
Prepared by:  Catholic Doors Ministry
Total words:  1636

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Good morning my brothers and sisters in Christ. How pleased the Lord God must be to see this beautiful gathering of His children who hunger for spiritual food that comes from the message of the Gospel.

During today's Gospel Reading, we heard of the persistent blind man who said to Jesus, "My Teacher, let me see again." What does it mean to see? Is there not physical and spiritual sight? While physical sight is desirable, spiritual sight is an absolute necessity for our salvation!

During the First Reading, we heard of the small number of people who had escaped the Assyrian captivity of 721 B.C. Purified through their exile, they were the new Israel, faithful to God. Through suffering, the people humbled themselves and turned to God with sincere repentance. Originally, while they had physical sight, they were spiritually blind. But now, through the suffering of slavery, they had received spiritual sight.

In this joyful moment, the people sang aloud with gladness, displaying endless echoes of thanksgiving to God who had delivered the weak, the lame, those with children and those in labour. These were the ones who had received spiritual sight, they knowing and understanding the righteousness of the Lord that delivers salvation.

During the Second Reading, we heard that while every high priest is chosen from among mortals and appointed by God to be in charge of things that pertain to God on their behalf, they too must offer sacrifices for sins because they also are subject to human weakness. The function of a high priest is not one of self- appointment or an appointment by man. It is a calling from God, just as Aaron was called by God.

Equally, Jesus, although God in human form, did not seek glory by elevating Himself as a high priest. No, it was the Heavenly Father who appointed Him when He said to Jesus, "You are My Son, today I have begotten you." Elsewhere, He said, "You are a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."

To understand this Bible passage, we must have spiritual sight. Like the blind man, we must pray, Jesus, "My Teacher, let me see again." And when we receive spiritual sight, we come to know and understand that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." [1 Cor. 3:19] Through worldly sight, we can appoint anyone as priests, the famous, the intelligent, the educated, those who are slim, etc... but what guarantee have we got that they will be good priests? None whatsoever! But God knows the hearts and He cannot make an error in His infinite perfection. By embracing a spiritual heart, applying our gift of spiritual sight, we can walk in harmony with the Divine Will of God and appoint priests that have been chosen by God to carry on the work of His ministry on earth.

Spiritual sight is not limited to the appointment of priests. It applies to everyone in every actions that are performed during the day. It applies to spiritual growth to ensure that the doctrines that are learned are sound like a house that is built on a solid foundation.

Many claim to have spiritual sight, to understand the teachings of Jesus Christ through the Holy Catholic Church. And they also claim to obey them. But do they?

Do you know that the Internet can be a blessing? It brings into light the severity of how many Catholics have fallen from the truth and the grace of God, embracing errors that justify drawing the Wrath of God. In the past, while reviewing the content of some alleged Catholic websites, I have asked myself so many times, "How can they be so spiritually blind?" Let me share some of my discoveries of spiritual blindness.

1. We all know how the Church tells us to value life. Pope John-Paul II has exhausted endless efforts to put an end to the death penalty throughout the world. But, in year 2000, knowing this, a Catholic judge passed the death sentence on a man. To justify this action, the lawyer indicated that this was not a Catholic doctrine but rather the personal efforts of the Pope.

The question here is, "Are we spiritually blind to the power of the Holy Spirit that is being manifested through the Pope who is the spiritual father of the Holy Catholic Church?" By permitting the death penalty, is this not saying that the Pope is not inspired by God in his actions?

2. Let us look at another area of spiritual blindness. How many Catholic politicians throughout the world have voted in the past in favour of abortion legislature? By doing so, are they not automatically excommunicated in accordance with the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? And yet, why is it that we hear nothing about their excommunications? Has everyone hardened their hearts to the point that they are spiritual blind, this ensuring their silence?

3. Again in year 2000, the Archdiocese of Baltimore condemned a local locutionist who claimed that Jesus would return again as a child. Why did the thousands of Catholics have to wait for the Archdiocese to make a decision on the matter? Were they all blind to this Satanic deception? There is a large number of locutionists and "christian" movements, Catholic and non-Catholic, that are making the same claim. Have they all gone spiritually blind?

4. Another Catholic website promotes that one only has to say "Father" once to God the Father and he will be saved. According to this website, we do not need Jesus anymore! Catholics are flocking towards this movement, promoting images of God the Father on medals, books, etc... while the Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly teaches us that God the Father is neither man, nor woman. He does not have a physical form. (C.C.C. # 239) Have these Catholics also become spiritually blind?

5. And then there are those locutionists who promote the false teaching of a Second Coming of Christ to rule for a thousand years on earth. Regarding this, the Catholic Church says, "The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh." (C.C.C. # 675) Such a belief is not of God!

6. And then there are the Catholics who have misunderstood the spirit of ecumenism. Here and there, we hear of some who are promoting ecumenism as meaning that all religions are equal, just being different ways of getting to Heaven. How can we debase the Catholic Church and say that other religions are equal when they do not have the apostolic succession, nor the Sacraments, that are absolutely necessary for salvation? Have we become spiritually blind where we no longer value the Sacraments of the Catholic Church?

7. From another perspective, fallen away Catholics are joining separated brother and sisters who claim apostolic succession, some of these groups promoting mystical books that were previously banned by the Holy Catholic Church because their content opposed the teachings of the Church, endangering the faith of the believers. Have so many Catholics become spiritually blind to the extent that they will accept the writings of false mystics over the teachings of Jesus Christ that are found in the Church?

8. And then there are the Catholics who are living in adulteress affairs and who are receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist while in their state of mortal sin. Is this not blasphemy against God for willingly approaching the Sacred Altar while in a state of mortal sin?

9. And what about the spiritually blind Catholics who no longer perceive the Sacrament of Baptism as a necessity to enter the Kingdom of God. These parents no longer have their children baptized because they do not feel it is important.

My brothers and sisters, I can go on and on about the spiritual battle that is taking place in this world between God and Satan. The fruits of Satan are abundant, touching every parish around the world. The saddest part of it all is not the fact that some have become spiritually blind by living in sin, but the fact that those who are supposed to enjoy spiritual sight, in reality, are spiritually blind by the fact that they have closed their eyes to these sins as if they did not exist.

When one has spiritual sight, he speaks up against the evils of the world, the falsehoods that are infiltrating the Church. Concerned with the salvation of all his brothers and sisters, he points out the errors that oppose Catholic teachings. And he does not run after false teachings because of supernatural manifestations that surround them, nor read material associated with false teachings. Why? Because such material corrupts the soul, places doubts in the mind and finally corrupts the heart of the individual.

This week, we should all access our status in the eyes of the Church. Are we all living as faithful Catholics should be living. Or are we embracing false teachings that endanger our faith? Do we have spiritual sight or are we spiritually blind?

I pray that today's Word of God will touch the heart of those who have been spiritually blind so they will find the strength in Christ to walk away from what destroys the faith. And I ask all my brothers and sisters in Christ to join their prayers with mine this week for the grace of God to shine on those in need so their eyes may be opened and remain opened.

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"Thus says the Lord: 'Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, 'Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.'

See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them those who are blind and those who are lame, those with child and those in labour, together; a great company they shall return here.

With weeping they shall come, and with consolation I will lead them back. I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.'" [Jer. 31:7-9]

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Second Reading...

"Every high priest chosen from among men is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, 'You are my Son, today I have begotten you'; as he says also in another place, 'You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.'" [Heb. 5:1-6]

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Gospel Reading...

"As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'

Jesus stood still and said, 'Call him here.' And they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Take heart; get up, he is calling you.' So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

Then Jesus said to him, 'What do you want me to do you for you?' The blind man said to him, 'My teacher, let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has made you well.' Immediately the man regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way." [Mk. 10:46- 52]

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