And there was a woman who had had an infirmity for eighteen years

Is there anything that keeps you bound up or oppressed? Infirmity, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, can befall us for a variety of reasons and God can use it for some purpose that we do not understand. When Jesus encountered an elderly woman who was spent of her strength and unable to stand upright, he gave her words of faith and freedom and he restored her to health. She must have suffered much, both physically and spiritually for eighteen years, since Jesus remarked that Satan had bound her. How can Satan do this? The scriptures indicate that Satan can act in the world with malice and can cause injuries of a spiritual nature, and indirectly even of a physical nature. Satan's power, however, is not infinite. He cannot prevent the building up of God's kingdom or reign in our lives. Jesus demonstrates the power and authority of God's kingdom in releasing people who are oppressed by physical and emotional sickness, by personal weakness and sin, and by the harassment of the evil one in their lives. It took only one word from Jesus to release this woman instantly of her infirmity. Do you believe in the power of Jesus to release you from affliction and oppression?

The Jewish leaders were indignant that Jesus would perform such a miraculous work on the Sabbath, the holy day of rest. They were so caught up in their ritual observance of the Sabbath that they lost sight of God's mercy and goodness. Jesus healed on the Sabbath because God does not rest from showing his mercy and love, ever. God's word has power to change us, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Is there anything that keeps you bound up or that weighs you down? Let the Lord speak his word to you and give you freedom.

 

How the Duck Learned to Swim

Once upon a time, there was a Duck and Hen who lived together in a house by the seaside. Their food was the rotten fish that the fishermen threw away. Every day they saw a Heron swimming up and down the sea, catching and eating fresh fish. This made Duck desire to have some fresh fish. But Hen said to Duck, "Why do you desire what you can't have? The Heron is a sea-bird. Her body is light. We are land-birds and land-birds do not swim. If you enter the sea with your heavy body you will sink like a stone and that will be the end of you."  Duck believed Hen. So they went on eating their rotten fish. But this did not stop Duck's hunger and inborn desire for fresh fish.

 

One very hot and humid day, Duck couldn’t eat anything at all because the rotten fish smelled so bad. She just went and sat by herself, quietly looking at the sea. In a moment the Heron came sailing by and saw the Duck in such a pitiable condition. Heron asked what was wrong, and Duck told him everything: how she always longed to swim and eat fresh fish but, unfortunately, the Creator had made her a heavy land-bird. It was then that Heron explained to Duck that sometime in the past, even he himself was not a swimmer, but that he was forced by hunger to jump into the sea and then he discovered he could swim.  

Heron invited Duck to jump into the sea and give it a try but Duck was afraid. With more encouragement from Heron, Duck overcame her fears and stepped into the sea. To her surprise Duck saw that she was not sinking; she was floating. With time Duck learned to swim well and catch and eat as much fresh fish as she wanted.

The story is really about how the duck came to discover and realize her God-given identity and potential as a swimmer. It is about how the flower bud blossoms into the beautiful flower that it is destined to be.

Similarly the story of Bartimaeus in today's gospel is about how a nobody begging by the roadside came to realize his God-given dignity as a human being and child of God; how he blossomed.

 

Mark's story of the healing of blind Bartimaeus has aroused the curiosity of bible scholars because this is about the only place in the Synoptic Gospels where the name of a person who was healed by Jesus is given. Mark mentions the name not only once but twice: "Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus," first in Aramaic, then in Greek. This very unusual emphasis on the name is a clue that the name is important for the reader to understand the point Mark is trying to make in the story. 

In the ancient Semitic world, a name was not just a label to identify a person. A name expressed the personality or destiny of a person. So what does Bartimaeus mean? Literally, it comes from the Aramaic and means "son/person of defilement (tame')." This could, therefore, be a nickname given to him because he was a blind beggar. Popular theology among the Hebrews held blindness to be a punishment from God for sin or defilement (John 9:34).

But the Greek version of the name could also be understood as "son/person of honor" (timÉ). This would indicate the man's inner nature and destiny. By giving us the name Bartimaeus with its double meaning, Mark could be telling us that here is a man who is supposed to be a man of honor and dignity (timÉ) living in a state of dishonor and shame (tame'). What Jesus did for him, therefore, was not simply restoring his physical sight but, over and above that, restoring his God-given human dignity. We can liken it to what the Heron did for the Duck, enlightening and empowering someone to realize their God-given potentials and dignity. 

Like Duck by the seaside or like Bartimaeus by the wayside, are we sometimes bored, feeling that there must be more to life than we are getting at the moment? Do we sometimes feel like we are born to be swimmers and yet here we are idly walking and eating rotten fish by the seaside?

Do we sometimes feel, like Bartimaeus, that we should be following Jesus in his enthusiastic campaign to save the world and yet we find ourselves all day long doing nothing but the same boring routine of trying to find food? The good news is that Jesus is passing by. He can heal and take away whatever weakness or handicap that holds us down. Do not pay heed to friends who, like the Hen, will say that you are daydreaming. Bartimaeus did not heed those who tried to dissuade him. Jesus is here to heal the blindness that has immobilized us, to empower and transform us from passive bystanders to his active and enthusiastic followers in the otherwise boring journey of life.

 

Do we have to wait?

Do we have to wait for priests, bishops, popes to launch initiatives? Are relations between various kinds of Christians to remain stagnant because the people at the top see all sorts of obstacles, real or not? When Jessie went through the windshield of her car in an accident and then back through it into the car with the resultant gashes and slashes and was comforted in the front seat by a stranger who stopped, he didn't ask what her faith was or what church she went to. Instead, he put his coat over her, held her hand and prayed with her till help came. Like many a twenty-year old college student Jessie hadn't given prayer a lot of thought or attention. In the hospital she was thankful to the point of tears whenever she mentioned it for the person who sat and prayed with her in that life-threatening moment. Eventually she found out he was the pastor of a small rural church near her home town, a member of one of those groups that seem a little odd to mainstream Protestants and Catholics. You realize at such times that the big division among human beings is between those who trust in God and prayer and those who don't. A friend with a Christian background but who shows no signs of the practice of faith still thanks me for remembering him and his family in prayer. We'd be surprised at how many of our contemporaries appreciate or value prayer. Some willingness to express our trust in prayer could be for those around us their most inspiring and encouraging moment in months.

Remember that you have been adopted by God as a daughter, a son."

Father Godfrey Diekmann OSB (1908-2002) was fond of summarizing Christian life in terms from early Christianity: "Christian, remember your dignity." In other words, Christian, remember your baptism; remember what you have become by your union with Christ in baptism. Remember that you are sons and daughters of God, not simply poor human wretches who must strain every muscle to be decent human beings. You are the body of Christ, members of a body of which Christ is the head. Or, put otherwise: Christ is the vine and we are the branches. God became human that we might become divine; that is another variation on this that Father Godfrey was also fond of quoting. Even without a constant emotional experience of this truth, can't we help ourselves to more generous and joyous living by remembering it? All this might sound awfully noble and ideal, but Christian belief is that human life has been made even more wonderful by Christ than it is by its creation. Good has become better! Isn't something similar operative or effective in ordinary human life when we hold ourselves to a certain standard because we value and respect, say, our family, our position, an organization or group to which we belong? Faith often requires we live by and hold beliefs that are not empirically verifiable. This is one of them. Couldn't it help us go out of the door in a better frame of mind, with more self-respect, especially in times when everything seems so cheap, empty, even sordid? "Christian, remember your dignity. Remember that you have been adopted by God as a daughter, a son."

I have come to set the Earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!

 (Luke 12: 49)

The world took a long time to light up. The apostles and their apostles and disciples and teachers had to work hard over more than 400 years of oppression, tribulation, and trial to bring this fledgling faith to life. With each generation the fire was a little brighter and a little stronger, even though at times it did not seem so.

We live in a time when it seems that the flame is going out, where there doesn't seem to be as much faith or life in faith as there once was. But we cannot trust our eyes. Jesus told us that He established the Church and "the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." If so, then we must trust Jesus to have spoken truthfully, and not trust our own uncertain and wavering perceptions of the world.

We are the fire! We are the transformation of the world! We are God's instruments of change! We can and do make a difference in the lives of people around us!

If we see the fire going out, perhaps the first place to look is deep within. Pray that the Lord will feed the flame within us, so that we can contribute to lighting the world on fire with the Love of God. God will prosper the work, but only if we really want it to prosper.

There's always a way to serve God

What complaints do you have? What are you doing to improve each situation that has caused you to grumble?

Whenever we're unhappy, it's a sign that we need to do something – take action – to make a change. The feeling of being irritated and displeased is a grace-filled urge to make changes by using the gifts and training and insights that God has given us. It's not supposed to make us cranky; it's meant to motivate us off our lazy seats and do whatever we can, with God's help, following his guidance, always alert to his timing.

Change starts by pointing the finger of responsibility at ourselves. Are we unhappy with others? We cannot change them, but we can improve something in our own lives to relieve the misery. Are we actively searching for alternate ways to get our needs met? Are we humble enough to change ourselves when wishing that others would change?

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus warns about the unfaithfulness of those who claim to be Christian yet disregard the Lord's will. When we know what needs to be done for the kingdom of God and we have the ability to do something about it, but do nothing, this is the grievous sin of apathy compounded by disobedience.

Sometimes we're unaware of what needs to be done or how to get it done. As Jesus said, we're only accountable for what we understand. This is why a person who breaks a Church law without understanding it is to be given patience and time, along with evangelization and education – by those who do understand.

Woe are we if we see a need and understand its importance and have the ability to fix it and neglect to take action! Jesus wants to find us busy serving the kingdom of God in our daily lives all the way up to the hour of our deaths: in our secular workplaces and other positions in the world, not just in church. Remember, we don’t have to look religious to be serving God.

The "Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity" from Vatican Council II was written to remind us that we are all called and gifted to "renew the temporal order". We are enabled and required to restore the temporary world to the condition that God wants for it, which is a reflection of the eternal world of heaven.

Society tells us that our goal for aging is to live longer and enjoy lots of restful retirement years with plenty of time to play and cater to ourselves. But Jesus did not say, "Blessed is the servant whom his Master finds busy when he returns, unless he's retired." There's always a way to serve God, even if our bodies become totally disabled.

I want to grow up

"Why is being a kid so short and being a grown-up so long?" This gem from one of the young, a girl entering her teens, appeared in a newspaper. The thought appeals to many of us. A kid could conceivably think this way and, undoubtedly, many an adult looking back can appreciate the sentiment. Poets and would-be poets have sighed the same thought. By the time we're self-conscious enough to value the special joys of youth we're already by that very fact entering on that grown-up period which probably only seems so long to the child. The adult often feels it isn't all that long. But there are facets of childhood which it would be wonderful to retain even if we don't go all the way with Peter Pan: "I won't grow up." When Jesus tells us to become like little children the context suggests imitating them in their reliance on others, in particular on God, for everything. But with a somewhat freer approach we see other aspects of youth that it's a shame to lose. How about: more ready smiles, more willingness to be enthusiastic, to idealize others, to bring some joy or at least pleasantness to our work place.

Greed

A man in the crowd asked Jesus to tell his brother to give him a share of the inheritance due to them both. According to Mosaic Law the general rule was that an elder son received double that of a younger son. If there was a dispute, it was usually settled by a rabbi, which is presumably why the man approached Jesus. It was the kind of problem in which Jesus was not remotely interested and he refused to get involved. One wonders how interested Jesus is when we make novenas to win lotteries or when we ask God to help us get our hands on the wealth of a rich and elderly aunt!!

Jesus now takes the opportunity to make some general remarks about material greed “in all its forms”. A man may be wealthy, he says, but his possessions do not guarantee him life. Life comes with freedom, peace and happiness. Money cannot buy these things.

There is no evidence that rich people enjoy more freedom, peace or happiness although many of us are inclined to think they do and we envy them. Their marriages do not last any longer. They do not bring up better children. They do not necessarily enjoy better health.

At this point Jesus speaks a telling parable. A farmer who is already rich has a bumper harvest. It is so big that he has to pull down his existing barns to build larger ones. When all that is done, he smugly says to himself: “My boy, you have blessings in reserve for years to come. Relax! Put your feet up. Eat heartily, drink well. Enjoy yourself.” But that very night, Jesus says, God will terminate his earthly life.

What happens now to all his piled-up wealth? Yes, it all has to be left behind. “You can’t take it with you.” “How much did he leave?” was asked about a billionaire who died. “Every red cent,” was the reply. When the farmer met his God, what had he brought with him? Little or nothing. When Mother Teresa died, how much do you think she brought? One feels she brought a great deal. And she certainly left behind a great deal to enrich the lives of many.

What is my attitude to money and wealth? If I were to die now what could I bring with me to present to God? And what will I leave behind, apart from cash and possessions? All of us can be rich in God’s sight and it does not require any money. Someone has said that the really rich are not those who have the most but those whose needs are the least. [If you have a New Testament handy, read the following passage, 12:22-34, where Jesus spells out a recipe for a life free from anxiety, the life which he himself lived.]

And what we need most is the ability to reach out in love, the love that builds and makes life better for others. Think of what good parents leave behind in children whose lives are dedicated to making this world a better place. Or teachers who have helped young people to devote themselves to service of the community.

What we need is to live in communities where people look after each other. A situation where because everyone gives, everyone gets.

HOW TO CATCH A MONKEY

They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey's hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before fastening together the two halves of the coconut shell. Finally, they secure the coconut to a tree with a rope, retreat into the jungle, and wait.
Sooner or later, an unsuspecting monkey swings by, smells the delicious orange, and discovers its location inside the coconut. The monkey then slips his hand through the small hole, grasps the orange, and tries to pull it through the hole. Of course, the orange won't come out; it's too big for the hole. To no avail the persistent monkey continues to pull and pull, never realizing the danger he is in.

While the monkey struggles with the orange, the hunters simply stroll in and capture the monkey by throwing a net over him. As long as the monkey keeps his fist wrapped around the orange, the monkey is trapped.

It's too bad the poor monkey could save its own life if it would only let go of the orange. It rarely occurs to a monkey, however, that it can't have both the orange and its freedom. That delicious orange becomes a deadly trap.

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money."

CROSSWORD PUZZLES

Someone has suggested the process of doing a crossword puzzle as a model for theology or for our understanding of life. She says it's "very arrogant to do it in pen." First you should do it in pencil since you'll probably find out something new that will require changing the original guess. Figuring out life might be like that, too. At a certain cocky young age -- or in a cynical phase -- we think we've figured it out or, at least, seen through it and through other people. It's equally likely that at the same age, we find it all very confusing, making no sense. With age and experience, raising a family, working, we come to some certainties or near certainties. But these can be dashed or changed, too, by new experience. Sometimes we develop new answers to life's mysteries; other times we realize that there are no answers that are completely satisfying for some of these conundrums. Our experience of trying to live a Christian life must tell us in regard to many matters that the best we can do -- and it is the 'best' -- is to trust in the one who has shared our life and its puzzles and perils, Jesus Christ. "O Lord God, who has called us, Your servants, to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden and through perils unknown: Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us. Amen"

Eestless and Undefeated Spirit

A financial counselor says: "When clients talk to me about their estates, they usually say, 'if I die,' not 'when I die.' Even 80-year olds use the conditional." I don't think this simply means that we deceive ourselves, consciously or unconsciously. Though, can we rule that out? Possibly it is testimony to the boundless will to live that animates most of us. You see it in the elderly who are limited by poor eyesight or shaky limbs but whose spirit would still like to make that trip or visit an old friend. In many cases the body wears out before the spirit and it's frustrating. The German writer Wolfgang Goethe said somewhere that the activity to which we're drawn, even if not involving the body, is for him an argument for another life after this one. Nature, he says, is obliged to provide an arena for this restless and undefeated spirit.