Our first reading today from 1Peter 2:2-9 starts with an idea that I’ve been
trying to use more often in my conversations. An infant thirsts, because it can’t provide for itself. Deer run through the forest and thirst for a stream. As Jesus hung on the cross, he painfully said, “I Thirst.” Thirst is a deeply personal feeling of continuing a life. We need hydration. When Jesus said I thirst, he was probably de-hydrated from loss of blood. We also have no idea when he had last eaten. His body was yearning for something, anything. At this weakened Tim Jesus was still God and fully aware. I – Me, would like to believe that in that moment Jesus knew that His body’s end was minutes away. I believe, knowing that He had completed The Father’s Will, Jesus thirsted for Heaven, and the contented peace that Heaven brings.
As a Lector in my parish, the Holy Spirit has brought my relationship with
the Word of God from a beginning of just being honored to proclaim, unto where I am now! I Thirst! I am chosen! I thirst for the precious Word of God to claim me, consume me, repair me and send me, into His Will. May your own appetite for Scripture, Eucharist, and all of Sacraments be blessed.
Beloved: Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, for you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul. Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that if they speak of you as evildoers, they may observe your good works and
glorify God on the day of visitation. Gliding from the 1 st reading smoothly into the Psalm, we recognize our innermost gladness. Just like any strong emotion, we are compelled to let our voices burst open and sing songs of thanksgiving to Our Lord God as the Blessed Trinity!! Sing with immense Joy and Gladness, Woo-Hoo…��
Unfortunately, in my past, I have often allowed negative emotions / feelings to fire up negative actions that I have always regretted. Regret & apologies don’t always happen during my daily living either. Sometimes it was so deep that only Reconciliation could begin to dislodge it. These Past 15 years or so, I have tried so very hard to keep my knee-jerk reactions ‘in-check’. I strive, yearn really, to only act from a Christlike, Holy Spirit infused foundation. If you are reading this, you have the exact same foundation. That’s enough of my pity-party whining!! I choose JOY!! Just like the Psalm says: I choose Joyful Thanksgiving and complete Appreciation for God, my Abba. Psalm: Come with joy into the presence of the Lord… Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; Give thanks to him; Bless His Holy Name!!
Gospel, Mark 10:46-52, As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a
sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the
roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
“Blessed are those who have believed and not seen.” I have always taken a
mild bit of pleasure in the fact that this scripture is speaking about me, us, Now! Lo and behold we are confronted with an actual anti-Didymus argument right there on the roadside waiting for Jesus! Stopping to meditate for a minute: I’m overcome with “What pure faith he had, what tremendous trust & belief resides in this desperate soul.” “Why not?”, Bartimaeus may have thought. He didn’t have anything to lose and the whole world to gain! I want that kind of faith! Not over-educated and not over-influenced, Pure Faith!!
Shalom and may all of God’s Love be yours! Mark
I am Mark Gates, your servant. I currently live with my wife in Peosta, Iowa and have retired. I have spent my whole life as a God-fearing Christian, Mass Lector and cradle Catholic. In 1996 after a Charismatic Conference, My spirituality ‘Exploded’. The Holy Spirit has blessed me with personal revelations and events in times of needed admonishment, teaching or encouragement. Having a personal belief and true affection for The Real Presence of Christ in Eucharist and also a very sweet, tender, and special relationship with our Holy Spirit, I believe that our world is in dire need of Good News. I want my spirituality to ‘start conversations’! Please allow these musings to start your own conversations.
