VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD: Spiritual beggars

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Many have experienced what it means to be sick and how dependent we are upon the help of others when we are sick. It is never easy. We tend to appreciate health more when we are in need of a doctor. 2000 years ago, health care and social security was even less developed.

On this Sunday, a blind man in Jericho hears Jesus passing by. He heard Jesus’ name before and now he is crying: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” (Lk 18:38). When we are listening to this Gospel we can say to ourselves: “What a poor guy! He had a physical problem, he was a beggar, and he was dependent upon others.”

But dear brothers, dear sisters, we are that beggar. Not in a material sense, as though we lack money, but in a spiritual sense – every one of us is in need of the mercy of God, we need God in our lives. But not everyone is aware of this need; that is why some of the people in the crowd tried to silence this beggar.

We live in a world and society where our friends and even our family might be asking us: “Are you really going to Church on Sundays? What are you doing there?” They are trying to “silence” us. And because we care about the opinions of others we think that our status is diminished when we appear as one in need of help from another. So instead we choose a comfortable life. The position of the beggar from today’s Gospel, by the road, very close to traffic, is very important since this is how he could get the attention of many passing by. He is in a very good, we could say, comfortable position. Even when we are not in need of material possessions, we are like this beggar because we are in this good, comfortable place where we choose to protect our well-being.

But I exhort you today to liken yourself to this beggar, for he is moved and he is crying: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus is listening to this petition and wants to answer this petition, so He asks His apostles to bring the beggar over. Once the beggar is standing in front of Him, Jesus asks this beggar: “What can I give you?” and the beggar asks for his sight: “I want to see.” He doesn’t want to be in that comfortable place any more.

The proclamation of this beggar shows that Jesus is everything that this beggar has right now. He believes and puts his trust in Jesus 100%, because what does he have? Maybe some clothes. In the Gospel of Mark, it is written that he left even those mantles (cf. Mk 10:50). Always, when we are going to Jesus, we need to leave something behind: our security, our emotional connections, our accustomed ways. We need to leave behind the things that are taking us away from God.

This is my encouragement to you. We are blind and we might be living in darkness because we are lacking this desire to live with God. What us keeping us in the darkness? Our sin. The sickness of our spiritual eyes can be removed by Jesus alone. Try to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me,” and He will give us sight.

✠ Most Rev. Milan Lach, SJ
Bishop of the Eparchy of Parma