By Antoinette (Nonie) Gutzler, M.M.
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Jer 31:7-9 | Heb 5:1-6 | Mk 10:46-52
There are several key themes in today’s Gospel that speak to the “signs of our times” and give us, in Jesus, an example of how we are to respond.
Mark tells us of the crowd that was traveling with Jesus, and that Jesus “stood still” at the cry of Bartimaeus, a blind man. The Scriptures tell us that Bartimaeus was the son of Timaeus, so we know that he belonged to a family, and we see that Bartimaeus’ “coming forward” bears witnesses to the transformative power of the inner urging of faith, which brings forth life from death.
The crowd presents an obstacle to Bartimaeus’ gaining his sight, rebuking the blind man and telling him to be silent. A question arises: did everyone in the crowd not want the blind man to be healed? Or were only a few voices at fault for “shushing” the man while others remained silent? Our answer to this question is important, because the reality is that sometimes we do or say things when we are part of a crowd that we would not do or say alone. The pressure of a group can compromise our resolve for what we truly cherish in our hearts, that which our inner urging of faith is calling us to do — and so we remain silent.
Then, we hear that Jesus “stood still” at the plea of Bartimaeus’ voice. For me, this is reminiscent of Moses at the burning bush: Moses had to stop and pay attention so that he could notice that the bush was burning but was not being consumed. The Scriptures invite speculation about Jesus’ walking pace. Was it slow and purposeful? Or fast and full steam ahead? I suspect that Jesus walked slowly, allowing him to notice everything in his surroundings, call on the blind man to come forth, and restore Bartimaeus’ sight. Our lives today are filled with so many things to do and, as one writer suggests, “hurry is the great enemy of our spiritual life.” Hurry results in an inability to stand still and notice the pain, suffering and injustice around us.
This Gospel raises uncomfortable questions. How will we embrace the courage to ignore the voices of the crowd — voices that say, “not our problem”? Alternatively, what are the benefits of “standing still” and paying attention to those in need around us and in our world?
An example of this courage is the mission of Maryknoll Sisters in Panama who have opened the doors of their pastoral care center to respond to the flood of immigrants coming through the Darién Gap. The Sisters have “stood still” to care for migrants who have walked 60 to 100 miles to reach a place of refugee, and were nearly devoured by Darién’s jungle, and yet are forgotten or vilified by the rest of the world.
In March of this year, Maryknoll Lay Missioner Heidi Cerneka, another woman of courage who “stands still” for the plight of migrants, traveled to Panama to hear firsthand the experiences of the record number of migrants who survived the trek through the deadly Darién jungle. She interviewed both migrants and the humanitarian aid and faith-based workers at the front lines. She writes that the migrants who survive the journey, “are part of a global reality where more than 120 million people live in situations of forced displacement, having left their homes involuntarily due to violence, economics and environmental disasters.”
Stories and experiences such as these bring today’s Gospel to life and challenge our commitment to follow the ways of Jesus. The Gospel reading raises questions: do I let myself hear different perspectives on the Church and social issues of our day? Or do I only listen to those who think as I do? Or perhaps, do I let a crowd of like-minded thinkers affect my judgment, and keep me from thinking that things could be different? As Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe once said, a community of like-minded people is not a sign of the Reign of God.
For me, the question and challenge from this Sunday’s Gospel is quite personal: “how am I influenced by the voices of the ‘crowd’ that keep me from standing still and prevent me from seeing and responding to those in need in our world?” What are the questions and challenges the Gospel raises for you?
Sister Antoinette “Nonie” Gutzler, of Brooklyn, New York, joined the Maryknoll Sisters in 1964. She has served on assignments to Tanzania, Taiwan and the United States, where she served as president of the Maryknoll Sisters from 2015 to 2021. Sister Gutzler holds a doctorate in systematic theology from Fordham University.
To read other Scripture reflections published by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, click here.
Featured Image: Migrants from Venezuela and Haiti get ready to board a boat in Necoclí, Colombia, April 28, 2023. (OSV News photo/Manuel Rueda, Global Sisters Report)
