WEDNESDAY GOSPEL OF WEEK 6 IN ORDINARY TIME
Ġesù jfejjaq raġel agħma f'Betsajda
EVANĠELJU
L-agħma kien imfejjaq, hekk li sar jara kollox tajjeb mill-bogħod ukoll.
Mk 8, 22-26
Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Mark
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù u d-dixxipli waslu Betsajda, u ħadulu quddiemu raġel agħma u talbuh imissu. Qabad l-agħma minn idu u ħadu barra mir-raħal, beżaqlu f’għajnejh, qiegħed idejh fuqu u staqsieh: “Qiegħed tara xi ħaġa?”. Dak ħares ’il fuq u qal: “Qiegħed nara n-nies, imma qiegħed narahom donnhom siġar mexjin”. Imbagħad raġa’ qegħedlu jdejh fuq għajnejh, u beda jara ċar: u kien imfejjaq, hekk li sar jara kollox tajjeb mill-bogħod ukoll. Bagħtu lura lejn daru, u qallu: “Qis li ma tgħid xejn meta tmur ir-raħal”.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
R/. Tifħir lilek Kristu
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Some points to reflect on ... The ongoing process of spiritual conversion :-
The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
- The people brought to Jesus the blind man --- This is the same as when we visit the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist to intercede for someone who needs help to be freed from the blinding slavery to sin. Faith may move mountains but insisting prayer moves God, in His time and in His mysterious ways --- Although the blind man did not ask himself for Jesus to heal him, or maybe he did not even ask to be brought to him, Jesus did what was told by the people who brought him ... and more ...
- Jesus touched him, took his hand and led him outside the village --- as when Jesus, who listens to our prayers, touches the heart of the person we prayed for, brings him conscious of his disillusioned way of living, encourages him to pick up courage to leave that environment and change his behaviour: The infinite Mercy of God restores and recreates - physically, psychologically, morally, emotionally, spiritually ...
- 23b and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?” --- Jesus opens our eyes through His Word, little by little: The more we listen to it, the more we meditate on it, the more we become conscious of the reality we live in - the evil around us and the struggle in us between good and evil, that tries to steal our attention from Jesus; that tries to steal our dignity; that tries to allure us to egoistic desires of power(prestige), pleasure, possessions...
Tower of Babel
... The man was not blind from birth for when Jesus asked him, he replied that he could see people but they looked like trees walking ! --- The same happens when we accept to convert: we have recollections of the sweet experiences of our humble innocence before we got trapped into the peer pressure of the culture of the day - corruption, abuses, deceit, marginalization, drugs, sex outside marriage, frenetic consumerism --- cultures of extremes:
> The throw away culture: The media uses advertisements to blame you for not being beautiful enough, for not being strong enough, for not being intelligent enough, for not being rich enough, for not being young enough, for not buying the latest gadgets enough, for not being free enough ... if you do not do what is advertised !
> Falling into the playboy culture: Throwing away commitments by irresponsible, immature and selfish behaviour, which may be even the results of lack of basic formation and information.
> The “culture of well-being” and comfort that convinces married men and women to intentionally remain childless, choosing a carefree life of world travel and summer homes ... even preferring to raise pets instead of kids; solo living; autonomy; self-sufficiency.
> The culture of death: contraception, abortion, euthanasia, illicit scientific experiments on humans and the creation, wars, genocides.
Pope: Jesus is the good shepherd
- 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. --- The more we open our heart to Jesus the more we become conscious of how much He was patient and merciful with us; how much He waited upon us to change. How many times He prevented us from sinning by providing people who corrected us, who taught us by their good examples. The closer we come to Jesus the more we become conscious of how much more we need to become humble, obedient, gentle, patient, forgiving, happy in simple ways, conscious of how difficult it is not to offend His honesty, His loyalty due to our frailty and weakness...Only by His grace we succeed to experience our transformation in a marvellous new reasoning, through the spiritual wisdom He bestows on us ... even through trials, ridicule, difficulties, humiliation, provocations, temptations, tragedies, sickness, persecution, isolation ... for all that God permits, is good for our purification and salvation.
- 26b “Do not even go into the village." --- Conversion is not a one time event but an ongoing process, day by day, second by second to overcome temptation: A nagging itch, a fleeting thought, a curious glimpse and bad thoughts start racing in our mind. (You cannot stop a bird from flying over your head BUT you can stop it from making a nest IN your head) Conversion comes as a result of our righteous efforts to follow God. These efforts include Prayer, Sacred Scripture, sincere repenting of sin, receiving the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist and enduring to the end in faith. We can endure all when we have an intimate relationship with Jesus, our teacher, our Saviour, our redeemer ... in silence and even in solitude (not isolation ! ).
God loves us. God loves you. God loves me.
Pope Francis: Nothing, and no one, can take away the assurance that God loves us
God loves us. God loves you. God loves me.
Pope Francis: Nothing, and no one, can take away the assurance that God loves us
Fr. Ignatius on the first reading from Sirach where we are admonished to not delay our conversion since this is presumption on God's later mercy when he is giving this mercy now.
... Once you see the primacy of Grace, Prayer is God's addressing of us ... "Whatever is good and true and right in our prayer is the Holy Spirit already praying in us" ... Authentic petitionary prayer is the Holy Spirit prompting you to ask for what He wants to give. So its the primacy of the Lord's involvement ...
Bishop Barron Comments on Prayer
LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD,
have mercy on me, a sinner
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Fr. Casey - The Spiritual Battle of Our Time --- The Devil: Liar and Murderer
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEYDcemW6Gv9C50iDimuuAi87yHlLc6_c
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