Grievance Culture in Grief

Greetings on this the Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: 1 Pt 2:2-5, 9-12; PS 100:2, 3, 4, 5; Mk 10:46-52

Notes

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.

Summary

We live a life of ignorance. Spiritual ignorance.

Our gospel account today addresses spiritual blindness. All the healing stories of the Gospel of Mark have a spiritual message well beyond the physical cure. The portion today is known to be of explicitly spiritual importance as Immediately he received his sight and followed him on The Way (my emphasis).

Healing Stories of the Gospel of Mark

• Jesus casts out an unclean spirit
• Healing Simon Peter’s Mother-in-law
• Cleansing a Leper
• Healing of a Crippled Man
• Restoring a Man’s Withered Hand
• Healing a Woman’s Haemorrhage
• Raising Jairus’s daughter
• Healing a Deaf Mute
• Casting out an unclean spirit
• Giving Sight to a Blind Man at Bethsaida
• Giving Sight to a Blind Man Bartimaeus

Reflection

The healing stories of Jesus consider the spiritual blindness and spiritual deafness.

In our baptism we are relieved of these maladies. We become a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own.

Personal Reflection

I had an interesting experience during a Catholic funeral liturgy earlier this week. Cutting to the core of the story a woman (from a different tradition, non-Christian) came forward uninvited during the service at the ambo microphone to declare ‘my spiritual needs are being ignored’ (a paraphrase). Besides the obvious lack of good public order, as well as an expression of the grievance culture, and a projection of her own spiritual emptiness, it fails to imagine the presence of God even in the tradition of others.

Nostra Aetate notes: Likewise, other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing “ways,” comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites. The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men (NA. 2).

If you fail to receive ANY spiritual comfort at a funeral service then you are guilty of obstinate spiritual blindness and spiritual deafness. Either through the evidence of healing in others (gospel stories) or in the effects offered to you (by abstraction or degree). Do you not know the Lord God is present even in the places that deny His presence? Do you not know that the LORD answers any soul in distress?

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed (PS 34:19).

There is no imposition of style, content or attire. Only love.

Open your ears.
Open your eyes.

First Reading

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.

Responsorial

Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.

Gospel

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.”

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.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry