DEVOTIONAL SUNDAY OCTOBER 25 , 2015

Reading the Liturgy Sunday, October 25, 2015

First Reading Jeremiah 31: 7-9
For thus saith the Lord: Sing for Jacob with joy, merry about the nations! Proclaim, praise, and say: The Lord has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and will gather them from the ends of the earth; among them are blind and lame, there is a pregnant woman together with the association that gave birth; in a large collection of them will come back here!
They will come back shedding I will bring them; I will lead them into rivers, in a straight way, where they will not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, Ephraim is my firstborn.
Thus the word of God.

Psalm, Psalm 126: 1-2ab, 2cd-3.4 to 5.6.
The Lord has done great things for us, then we rejoice.
When the Lord restored the state of Zion, our circumstances like those who dream. At that time our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.
At that time people said among the nations: "The Lord has done great things for these people!" The Lord has done great things for us, then we rejoice.
Please restore our state, O Lord, as the streams dry restore the Negev! People who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
People who walk forward with crying while sowing seeds, would go home with cheers, carrying his papers.

Second reading Hebrews 5: 1-6.
Siblings - brother, every high priest chosen from among men is appointed for men in their relationship with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He should be able to understand people who are ignorant and those who go astray, because he himself is beset with weakness, which is obligated to make sacrifices for sins, as for the people, but also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but was called to it by God, as was Aaron. Similarly, Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but was glorified by him who said to him: "Son you! I have begotten today," as his word in a passage as: "You are priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. "
Thus the word of God.

Gospel reading Mark 10; 46-52
One day, they came to Jesus and his disciples in Jericho. And when Jesus was leaving Jericho, together with his disciples and the crowds that flocked there was a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many people are saying to keep him silent. But the harder he exclaimed: "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Then Jesus stopped and said, "Call him!" They called the blind man and said to him: "Courage, stand up, he is calling you." Then he took off his robe, he stood up and went to him. Jesus asked him, "What kaukehendaki that I do for you?" The blind man replied: "Rabboni, that I may see!" Then Jesus said to him: "Go, your faith has saved you!" At the time he received his sight and followed him on his journey.
Thus the Gospel of the Lord.

Afterthought.
Hope it is essential, whatever the person's experience, but if he still has hope, then he will be able to survive in life. In contrast, no hope, no matter how small the problem, a person's life would be destroyed, today's Gospel speaks about the story of Bartimaeus who have great hope in Jesus. Bartimaeus was a beggar who likes to sit alongside a road. As a beggar, Bartimaeus hope to recover quite impossible, beggars do not have money for treatment and does not have a friend to help him, but in his suffering, Bartimaeus still have hope. When he heard Jesus was walking around the place he was sitting and begging, he cried out: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me," Bartimaeus is not concerned with reproof many people that she did not scream. Then what happens? Jesus heard and responded to his call, Jesus stopped and ordered to summon Bartimaeus to approach him, and he healed.
Here is the perseverance of Bartimaeus every day, every moment pray for healing. Persistence certainly fruitless. In the process, of course there will be a lot of doubts, temptations and challenges, but to continue to look to God and put all hope in Him, we will be able to defeat all attempts to undermine our perseverance. In the end the Lord looks at the heart which continues to cry out to Him, and He will answer in His way and in time.

Items to contemplation.
Today we are invited to reflect on the hope of our lives to Jesus, whether during the time we realize that Jesus' presence is real in our lives every day? We are expected to come to Jesus, please be cured, please touch, please opened the eyes of our hearts. By looking at Jesus, we will easily see each other more clearly and sensitive to what they are experiencing, Come to Jesus.

Prayer
O Jesus, heal us of the blindness of faith, hope and love Thee. Amen.