BE ENCOURAGEMENT TO OTHERS: CATHOLIC SUNDAY SCRIPTURE REFLECTION OF THE WEEK: 30TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE B, 2024

BE ENCOURAGEMENT TO OTHERS

The Christian life calls to encourage one another at all times. This is the mission entrusted to us by Christ himself. We are challenged to be instruments of God’s healing, teaching reconciling, and leading others back to friendship with God.? The best testimony of faith and witness is to uplift others, especially in their weaknesses and failures.

Therefore, the Christian witness in the world is to encourage others. That is, to make them see God’s goodness, love and mercy of God. It is not up to them to take the place of God in judging and condemning the people.

Whether we are members of the ministerial priesthood or the common priesthood of Christ, whether as priests in baptism or ordination, we are a source of encouragement to others who struggle with human weakness.

ENCOURAGEMENT OF OTHERS IS THE MISSION OF CHRIST TO THE CHURCH

We must learn to encourage and lift others through their failures or struggles. We must never be a source of discouragement in their already downcasted life.

The nature of Christ is to animate and encourage sinners and social or religious outcasts to be closer to God. In other words, the salvific message in the gospel lies in the upliftment of sinners to become good men and women. This makes Christ stand out from other religious leaders before and after him. Christ's nature is empathetic and sympathetic to all he met in life.

He showed sinners, the compassionate and merciful face of God, He was lovely, patient, and compassionate to them but intolerable towards their sins. For Christ, Christianity is not and should not be a religion of guilty-bound or sinful accusations.

A CHRISTIAN IS AN EMPATHETIC PERSON

Christianity, for Christ, is a spirituality of the consciousness of God and the translation of that godliness to lovely thoughts, kind words and considerable actions towards others.

Christian spirituality is our ability to connect, feel or relate empathetically to others in human or spiritual conditions. The gospel of Christ must never be anything other than the compassionate relation of bringing sinners in contact with God’s grace, mercy and love.

Therefore, a Christian must be like Christ in his relationship with others from an empathetic standpoint. He or she should not be accusative or condemning in thoughts, words or actions towards a perceived “sinner” or a struggling person.

OUR THEME

This Sunday’s readings remind us of the essence of reaching out to others and encouraging them.

The principal theme is that we are all prophets, priests, and teachers who are called to encourage others in their failures and struggles.

A truly empathetic person lives within human struggles. That is what it means to be human and Christian. We struggle with human weaknesses to help others experiencing the same human frailties.

A truthful and honest Christian knows he has human weaknesses. One who struggles with human frailties is a person who can connect, relate, or feel for others. He or she can reach out to help and touch lives empathetically or sympathetically. ??

OUR VULNERABILITY

As prophets, priests, and teachers, we live within the vulnerability of human errors. We are not super-beings or supermen. Despite our weaknesses, we are ordinary people called and chosen by God.

Our weaknesses are not supposed to lead to shame or guilt. They are our strengths feel, connect, and relate to those struggling in life.

The priestly or Christian image of Superman is crafty and untrue. It is also a distortive image that makes the priests demi-gods or supermen above errors and failures. This does put them outside grace. It gives them immunity to becoming spiritual beasts that hurt insensitively. They see themselves above the law because they are extraordinary human beings.

The truth is that a super or extraordinary human priest and Christian cannot feel, connect or relate to what sinners are going through. Those are also incapable of feeling the difficulties, failures, problems and sufferings ordinary humans face daily

FIRST READING: JEREMIAH 31:7-9

The God of Israel is not only a historical God. He is also a God who knows the communal struggles of his people. ?Although, Jeremiah is one of the prophets who suffers most in Israel. God offers encouragement, consolation and comfort to his distressed people through him.

?The Lord declares himself to be the Father of Israel. A Father God who will deliver and bring back the exiled people of Israel. He will heal their sicknesses. He will strengthen and comfort them in their sufferings and pain.

Equally, he will also restore their lack with superabundance. God will make their path to freedom or liberation. Above all, he will be a lovely Father to his people, and they will be trustworthy children of his.

THE PAINFUL HISTORY

In the real sense, this reading taken from the Prophecy of Jeremiah tells us of the small number of people, “the remnant of Israel,” who had survived the 721 BC Assyrian captivity. Jeremiah encourages his exiled fellow Jews with the promise of a homecoming full of joy and healing.

Concisely, the words of the prophet Jeremiah were not only of doom and condemnation. Something characteristic of Jeremiah as the prophet of doom instead his words offer encouragement to the depicted people of Israel in their sins and failures.

PSALM 126

The responsorial of Psalm 126 encourages us to recount the goodness of the Lord: the Lord has done great things for us, and let us be filled with joy.? It was a psalm song composed by Israelites in their history of shame and agony in exile.

The exiled nation of Israel with this Psalm expresses their redemption, joy, and gratitude to God, who saves them from captivity and disgrace.

It was likely written upon the Israelites’ return from Babylonian captivity. In the view of many biblical scholars, the Psalm was written either by Ezra. Or the high priest who led the nation of Israel at that moment in history or one of the Jewish prophets.

Therefore, Psalm 126 is a community song of encouragement, trust and confidence that employs metaphor to proclaim God as the one who brings joy out of sorrow, laughter out of tears, and good out of evil skilfully. ?

The task of Christ to the Christian Church and us is to bring others out of sins, evils, sorrows, failures and discouragements.

SECOND READING: HEBREWS 5:1-6

The theme of Christ's priesthood continues in the second reading this Sunday. The priest of Christ who offers us both his divinity and humanity. As a High Priest who is capable of encouraging us. Having been through all things we are going through in life except sin.

Like Melchizedek, Jesus is a priest forever. He is our peace, a source of mercy and grace. Above all, Christ is our mediator with God. Today’s reading presents us with the doctrine of the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ. This passage sets out three essential qualifications of the priest in any age and generation.

WHO IS A PRIEST IN THE COMMUNITY OF MEN?

First, the priest is appointed to mediate between men and God. He deals with spiritual or religious issues concerning God. The priest is the link between God and man. In Israel, the priest had one unique function to offer sacrifice for his sins and the sins of his people.

Sin disturbs the relationship which should exist between man and God and puts up a barrier between them. The sacrifice is meant to restore that relationship and remove that barrier (Lev.4:2, Lev.4:13, Num.15:22-31).

So then, the priest existed to open the way for the sinner to return to God–so long as he wanted to come back.

Second, the priest must be one with men. He must have lived the experiences of other men to be capable of sympathising with them in their struggles and failures. The priest’s empathic nature of a priest makes him connect, relate and feel patiently and gently with others.

The third essence of a priest is that no man appoints himself to the priesthood; his appointment is of God. The priesthood is not an office a man takes, creates or makes by himself. It is a privilege and glory to which he is called to act on behalf of God. He is a dispenser of God’s grace, goodness, and mercy.

The ministry of God among men is neither a job nor a career. It is a calling. A vocation to encourage, animate and live for others. A priest looking at his life should say, “I did not choose this work”, but “God chose me and gave me this work to do.”

THE IMAGE OF CHRIST'S PRIESTLY LIFE THROUGH OUR MINISTERIAL AND COMMON PRIESTHOOD

1.?????? The high priest is chosen among men and charged with mediating between men and God. He is one of them who offers gifts and sacrifices for sins on their behalf. ?He is also a mediator like Christ whose main task is reconciling them with God.

2.?????? The Mystery of the Incarnation makes Christ one of us. And through the Mystery of Easter, he reconciles us to God through the perfect sacrifice. A priest today is a man called and chosen by God to identify with his brothers and sisters. He should be a source of encouraging them to live godly lives.

3.?????? We are strengthened in this role by the sacraments. Some are also called to the ministerial priesthood and ministry is conferred by Holy Orders.

4.?????? Empathetically, Christ's ability to be patient, understanding, and gentle with sinners and ignorant was due to his identification with their humanness through the Incarnation. However, he was sinless; he sacrificed his life for our sins.

5.?????? ?A priest is a man with weaknesses even though chosen by God. His weaknesses should not only make him humble. They should make him capable of being patient, understanding and gentle with sinners.

6.?????? Yes, indeed, Christ offers one supreme sacrifice once and forever for us sinners. The priest configures his life in the image of Christ in every liturgical sacramental celebration especially when he re-enacts these sacrifices for the sins of himself and his brothers and sisters.

7.?????? A clear sign that his priesthood is of Christ. He lives within weaknesses and sinfulness. He is a mere mortal who falls like everyone else. In addition, he is not a saint or an angel. The admittance of this fact will help the priest to be humble.

8.?????? Equally, the priest is conscious of human limitations. His humanity and struggle as a priest make him empathetic to others and their weaknesses.?

9.?????? Christ's messianic call to offer his life for all was a privilege or honour granted to him by God the Father. It was not a self-imposed honour or glory. Thus, he always asked for his Father’s will to be done and his.

10.?? ?No mortal priest is worthy to act in “Persona Christi”. The priestly life is a life of unmerited favour, honour and grace. No matter the holiness, intelligence, or privilege of a priest. It is all grace and nothing but grace.

In all the priest is a son of encouragement. He should always and everywhere be a person, teacher and minister who encourages others. This was Melchizedek’s priestly mission to Abraham when he answered God’s call. Abraham’s life and mission demanded he leave, his comfort zone to an unknown world.

Christ’s mission to all people of every age is to encourage them to seek and do God’s will. Our community Christians encourage each other and everyone.

THE GOSPEL: MARK 10:46-52

The drama of Jesus’ encounter with Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus teaches us many things about the humanity of Christ. It was a scene, where the blind beggar sat by the roadside to Jericho. He had a lifetime opportunity to present himself and his situation to Christ.

Jesus Christ, the teacher and miracle worker, was passing by his way, and no one or nothing could detain him from reaching him.

Bartimaeus did not only recognise the messianic kingship of Christ but related him to King David. He has an indomitable faith in him, which no person or obstacle could overcome.? Amidst challenges and obstacles, he shouted “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus heard Bartimaeus' desperation and encouraged him to approach him with trust and confidence. The people saw him as a nuisance and tried to quieten him. Eventually, they are the ones who encourage him to get closer to the waiting Christ who beckons at him.

Enthusiastically, he reached out to Christ, who asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” encouragingly. Without missing or gabbling words, Bartimaeus said, “My teacher, let me see again.”

Jesus heard the prayer of a blind man and gave him back his sight based on his trusting and overcoming faith. Bartimaeus regain his sight of seeing, and his first line of action is to follow Christ unreservedly.

THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF BARTIMAEUS EXPERIENCE

Mark sets a scene within the context of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Jewish Passover feast, which every Jewish male of twelve years of age must go. Jesus is passing through Jericho which is about 15 miles away from Jerusalem.

It was a busy road with many pilgrims. Probably too many roadside traders and onlookers were cheering the eligible pilgrims wishing them of the pilgrimage journey.

?Jesus, a distinguished Rabbi or teacher, was on the busy road to the Passover in Jerusalem. As it was his custom, a crowd of people, disciples and learners surrounded him. They listened to him as he discoursed while he walked that was one of the most common ways of teaching.

At the northern gate sat a blind beggar called Bartimaeus. He heard the tramp of feet and asked what was happening and who was passing. He was told that it was Jesus. There and then, he set up an uproar to attract his attention.

However, for the people listening to Jesus, Bartimaeus' uproar was an offence. They tried to silence Bartimaeus. For them, his relentless shouting was a disturbance.

Jericho is home to many priestly or Levitical classes. For them, the invocation and attribution of the Davidic’s sonship to Christ as an outlaw to their faith and tradition was a blasphemy that must be shut down.? If true, there would be many cold, bleak, and hostile eyes in the crowd that day against this innocent but desperate blind beggar.

Bartimaeus would not let anyone take away, from him his chance to escape from his world of darkness. Hence, he cried out with such violence and importunity that the procession stopped, and he was brought to Jesus.

BARTIMAEUS EXPERIENCE IS OUR FAITH EXPERIENCE

Bartimaeus' encounter with Jesus is our faith journey and personal experience of Jesus Christ.?

1.????? First, the blindness-spiritual or otherwise, which we all suffer, is a sense of desperation and hopelessness in life situations.

2.????? Second, the moment of opportunity for an encounter with God, the Father's love in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. We must take advantage of moments of life to plead or call on God's intervention in our plights.

3.????? Third, we must overcome obstacles of faith, sin, and discouragement from others who want to stop us from trying, and to accept our conditions as permanent and that we cannot be better off.

4.????? Fourth, a faith endurance to overcome the odds always paves the way for BREAKTHROUGHS, as Jesus, always pays attention to us and our needs.

5.????? Lastly, our attitude to asking favours is important when we have a clear answer or petition of what we want or need from the Lord. With God, it is always a doctor-patient relationship. We'll need to be precise without asking for vague or ambiguous.

CONDITIONS FOR A MIRACULOUS ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST

There is a need for sheer persistence or insistence in Bartimaeus’ prayer. It is clear evidence of an indomitable faith that nothing could stop.

?For Bartimaeus, prayer was not just a nebulous, wistful, sentimental wish to see Jesus. It was a desperate desire born out of conviction to get his healing.

His response to the call to Jesus was immediate and eager so he cast off his hindering cloak to run to Jesus more quickly. Certain life’s chances happen only once, Bartimaeus instinctively knew that and took advantage of it.

Precisely, his sight was what he wanted from Christ. Being vague in prayer is one of the tragedies of religious rites or rituals.

When we go to the doctor, we want him or her to deal with a particular life situation. When we go to the dentist, we do not ask him to extract any tooth but the diseased one. It should be so with Jesus and us, no ambiguity of words over our predicament, just a simple request.

Bartimaeus had quite an inadequate conception of Jesus. Son of David, he insisted on calling him. Despite the inadequacy of the theology of Bartimaeus, he had faith in Christ Jesus and faith made up a hundredfold for his healing.

Christianity begins with a personal faith reaction or conviction to Jesus. Even if the Christian has no theological or liturgical knowledge of the person of Christ.? It is enough faith to believe in his heart.

In the end, Bartimaeus was a lovely touch by Jesus. He may have been a beggar by the wayside, but he was full of gratitude. Having received his sight, he followed Jesus. He did not selfishly go on his way when his need was met.

He began with need, went on to gratitude, and finished with loyalty to Christ. That is a perfect summary of the stages of discipleship and commitment to God.

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS

a.?????? How encouraging are your thoughts, words and actions to others? Do you serve as an encouragement to others?

b.????? Do you represent discouragement or killer of any living spirit to their struggling or failures?

c.?????? What is your image of a priest? A supernatural being above sins, errors or failures? A mortal being with struggling weaknesses like everyone else?

d.????? A man who is a human being first and then a Christian before being called or chosen by God to mediate between Him and men?

e.?????? Are you the voice of discouragement that quietens the desperate and struggling soul? Or are you the empathetic voice that uplifts the struggling souls despite their weaknesses and failures?

f.??????? Are there problems in our lives without a solution? Is there seemingly hopelessness in the context of your daily living? Are there sins, failures and diseases in your life?

g.?????? Do you know coming to Jesus and telling him what is wrong is all you need to do?

h.????? Are you the persistent soul that cries to God uncontrollably until you are heard? Or do you allow yourself to be quieted or discouraged by others?

THE MAIN POINTS OF THIS DAY REFLECTION

In summary, the readings of this Sunday invite us to be hopeful, consolation and encouragement to others.

The Mission of Christ is not one of silence or indifference to human weaknesses and struggles. It is the encouragement to uplift others to grace and mercy and cheer up a struggling soul despite their sins and failures.

Today’s readings did invite us to be an inspiration to our struggling brothers and sisters. Jeremiah offers comfort to Israel amidst their sorrows and pains of failures. The high priest's calling is to mediate between them and God with empathetic patience and gentleness with sinners amidst their sins and failures.

Finally, we are challenged to be like Christ, the empathetic teacher and healer who stopped and called Bartimaeus to approach Him with faith and trust. With encouragement, allow him to ask what he wanted of Him. Thus receiving the healing of his sight.

OUR PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, we live in a world where many people struggle with the darkness of sins and failures inside and around them. ?We live amidst many discouraging or condemning voices and eyes that weigh us down instead of uplifting us. Lord, help us to be the voice of hope, consolation and encouragement. Especially to those who have failed or are struggling with weaknesses in life. Amen