A Beggar Upon God's Mercy

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I found myself deeply identifying with the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, from Sunday's Gospel reading.  Too often, I have been wooed by the concerns and frustrations of this world.  Constantly I am tempted to enter the modern-day "Jericho" of pride, envy, greed, anger, or lust.

The solution?  To call out as Bartimaeus did, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me" (Mk. 10:48, RSV)!  I must recognize that I am powerless against the forces of this world that cause spiritual blindness in me.  I must remember that He is the source of my existence, and cause of my flourishing.  Without His mercy and blessings, I would certainly find myself in a constant cycle of sin, devolving to spiritual destruction.

Alas, that doesn't have to be.  Like Bartimaeus, I have the opportunity to throw off the mantle of sinful oppression that the enemy would have me wear (cf. Mk. 10:50).  Instead of being weighed down and hindered by those deadly sins, I can have the freedom to follow Jesus on His way toward the place of ultimate fulfillment, the New Jerusalem (cf. Mk. 10:52-11:1).

I pray that I can learn the necessary virtues of humility, mercy, faith, and perseverance in order to make all of this real in my life.

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