Helpless but hopeful

I was in the hospital exactly 5 weeks ago for random check up due to some undesired body reactions. And the whole time I was at the hospital I was praying Lord, not to me, not to me and prayed the same as well, and that it wouldn’t be any fatal or serious. Thank God it was not ay serious.

I hate hospitals But I happened to pass by people who were sick and thought about how they got sick the whole time.

I got well which means to say I am not helpless. But I took a minute to ponder upon those who doesn’t have a choice, those who are sick with fatal diseases, ones that are incurable and very much dependent to medicines and dialysis and other costly procedures just to live.

Brothers and Sisters, have you tried to be helpless? Powerless? Or have you been in a situation where you you don’t have a choice?

This is the picture Jesus would like us to focus on today. The image of helplessness. The blind man was desperately helpless. He was blind. He was begging along the byroads. He only relied to his auditory sense. And used his voice to shout desperately to make himself noticed, as if sending distress signals for help.

He was sending distress signals to the only one whom he knew by faith could help his helplessness. Could give him his sight back and would in turn restore his dignity. Jesus is the only one who could help us in our helplessness. He could recognize our distress.

But something is worth emulating from the blind man. Midst his helplessness and distress, in his heart was faith, and hope. It was this faith that healed him. It was this hope that lead him to take his chances. And it was love that made him follow Jesus. Love was his response to the one who lifted him up from his helplessness.

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READINGS

Reading 1, First Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

From these there grew a wicked offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes son of King Antiochus; once a hostage in Rome, he became king in the 107th year of the kingdom of the Greeks. It was then that there emerged from Israel a set of renegades who led many people astray. 'Come,' they said, 'let us ally ourselves with the gentiles surrounding us, for since we separated ourselves from them many misfortunes have overtaken us. This proposal proved acceptable, and a number of the people eagerly approached the king, who authorised them to practise the gentiles' observances.

So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, such as the gentiles have, disguised their circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant, submitting to gentile rule as willing slaves of impiety.

The king then issued a proclamation to his whole kingdom that all were to become a single people, each nation renouncing its particular customs. All the gentiles conformed to the king's decree, and many Israelites chose to accept his religion, sacrificing to idols and profaning the Sabbath. On the fifteenth day of Chislev in the year 145 the king built the appalling abomination on top of the altar of burnt offering; and altars were built in the surrounding towns of Judah and incense offered at the doors of houses and in the streets.

Any books of the Law that came to light were torn up and burned. Whenever anyone was discovered possessing a copy of the covenant or practising the Law, the king's decree sentenced him to death. Yet there were many in Israel who stood firm and found the courage to refuse unclean food. They chose death rather than contamination by such fare or profanation of the holy covenant, and they were executed.

Gospel, Luke 18:35-43

Now it happened that as he drew near to Jericho there was a blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about, and they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. So he called out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.' The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, 'Son of David, have pity on me.'Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Sir,' he replied, 'let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.' And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God.