GOSPEL
“Master, I want to see.”
Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint 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.
Word of the Lord.
Spiritual Milk
As the first reading in Peter’s letter states: “…desire the pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
I see myself nursing from the Mother Church and from the prayer in which Mary leads me to Jesus, that spiritual milk that reveals to me the love that God has for me and for my wife, and for loved ones and not-so-loved ones…
I see myself nursing from the consecrated Host and extracting the sweet juice of divine Mercy. The nectar of grace, savoring the truth, amazed by the supernatural beauty of my spouse…
Give me more, Lord, Son of David, as I am still hungry for You and thirsty for Love.
Applied to Married Life:
Claudia: Husband, what do you keep in your memory of our relationship? I have some dark moments that occasionally surface and cause me pain.
Salva: I do too. But I am learning to purify my memory so that everything within my heart carries a touch of God’s grace and is enveloped in Love. This way everything becomes part of our salvation history.
Claudia: That sounds good, but I don’t quite understand it. Can you give me an example?
Salva: Well, sometimes I would remember that person you were flirting with. The pain that came over me was indescribable. It provoked a tremendous anger against you and even more against him.
Claudia: I know. I don’t know how I could do something so terrible to you, but I also didn’t know how to recover and fight against that ghost of the past for which I have asked for forgiveness a thousand times.
Salva: So, I’ve decided to rejoice in having suffered the pain that I inflict on Him and so many others every time I disregard His sacrifice for me by focusing on worldly things.
This experience has helped me to unite with Him in sacrifice for your redemption, and has borne much fruit in my heart. Now, when that memory comes to me, it is wrapped in desires to suffer for your salvation, dear wife, and in reparation for the wounded Heart of Christ.
Mother,
Purify our memory so that we only keep in our hearts what You stored in Yours. Mother, may I see with Your eyes. Amen.