by Sister Jacqueline Capelle
Mark was the first to write about God's action in Jesus. Mark wrote his Gospel to deepen the faith of the members of his community. Today's Gospel from Mark tells us the story of the blind beggar Bartimaeus. He pleaded with Jesus to have mercy on him, to give him his sight. The wonderful thing about this blind beggar is that he had faith to believe that Jesus would cure his blindness. His faith and his new sight caused him to follow Jesus. The healings in Mark's Gospel are signs of what life in God's Kingdom will be like.
Sometimes we feel like we are blind in our faith. What do you do when that happens? The Gospel reminds us to listen as we hear Jesus coming into our lives. We must open our ears and hearts to do what he tells us. Like Bartimaeus, we must be convinced that Jesus will intervene in our lives.
Following Jesus isn't always easy. Some people don't believe in Jesus and they may ridicule you for your belief. Faith is very strong. It will conquer all the negatives that come into our lives. As we journey with Jesus, we hear him tell us what to do in His name. Our hearts are filled with His strength and He sees us opening our hearts to many in need.
This week think about Bartimaeus. Pray for the kind of faith that he had in Jesus. May your vision be wide open to believe in Jesus.
by Sister Laura Zelten
"God made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him." -- Ephesians 1:9
Divine Revelation is the love and knowledge of God that we cannot possibly arrive at by our own powers of reason. Out of divine love, God has chosen to reveal Himself to the world. The plan of Divine Revelation begins with creation and is made perfect by God's sending Jesus Christ for the redemption of the world.
God's Divine Revelation is transmitted to us in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. God has revealed Himself to us by gradually communicating His own mystery in deeds and in words. Beyond the witness to Himself that God gives in created things, He manifested Himself to our first parents, spoke to them and, after the fall, promised them salvation (cf. Gen 3:15) and offered them His covenant.
God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings (cf. Gen 9:16). It remains as long as the world lasts. God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him and his descendants. By the covenant, God formed His people and revealed His law to them through Moses. Through the prophets, He prepared them to accept the salvation destined for all humanity.
God has revealed Himself fully by sending His own Son, in whom He has established His covenant forever. What Christ entrusted to the Apostles was handed on by their preaching and writing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to all generations until the coming of Christ.