Monday, November 18, 201333rd Week in
Ordinary Time
First Reading
:1Mac 1:10-15, 41-43; 54-57
Gospel Reading: Lk 18:35-43
When Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what it was, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by. Then he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people in front scolded him, “Be quiet!” but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him, and when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the man said, “Lord that I may see!” Jesus said, “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.” At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in
the Assimilated
Life Experience)
A story is told of a group of frogs leaping through the woods. Two fell into a deep pit. The other frogs quickly gathered around the pit and, seeing how deep the pit was, exclaimed that the two were as good as dead. One frog succumbed to the comments and died while the other persisted in jumping. The more they discouraged him, the harder he jumped till he got out of the pit. Later they found out that the frog that made it to safety was deaf.
Today’s Gospel presents a blind man who found himself amidst a non-sympathetic crowd. People were trying to silence him as he started calling out on Jesus. He was not only blind but also a persona non grata. Yet he knew that there was no other chance to call out on Jesus that close. It was thus that he ignored the crowd.
The blind man saw what most of us do not see during crisis. Panic takes us to an exhausting emotional state when friends turn us down when we need them most. We seek comfort in people but few there are who truly care especially when we have turned useless to them.
Crisis, though, has positive effects as it filters the kind of friends that surround us. Crisis drives away the false friends we thought we can rely upon. Those who are not aware of the mechanics of the hypocrites and anchor their security upon these pretenders will end up having no one to turn to when they need one. Good if they have inner strength. But if they only find wounds in their inner sanctuaries they will surely succumb to discouragement like the unfortunate frog who gave up jumping from that deep pit.
So let us never anchor our strength on people. God is the only reliable source of strength. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
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