Mercy in Motion
Jesus heals Bartimaeus
Announcements for October 23, 2021:
Buy tickets now for our Annual Gala. Join us November 6th for a wonderful celebration of our educational ministry.
Eat Ice Cream for OLMC! This Monday, October 25, will be Chanticleer Day at Seven Scoops and Sips. Drop in anytime between 12:00 and 9:00pm to enjoy ice cream, smoothies, games, and more - every penny of profit will be given to OLMC!
The Diocesan Ministries Appeal continues. Check out Bishop Sweeney's appeal video, and click here to give today.
Visit our Parishioner Portal for up-to-date announcements.
Dear friends,
In this weekend's Gospel passage Jesus heals Bartimaeus, a blind beggar.
Bartimaeus makes himself known to Jesus in spite of the sizable crowd gathered around him. With the focus of full-bodied faith, Bartimaeus sets his sights on Jesus. He knows that Jesus is the cure for what ails him.
The cry, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me" is harrowing. How Bartimaeus trusts in Jesus! How self-forgetful he is in calling out to Christ, how vulnerable he is in front of the crowd and how bold he is in the face of their contempt! How reckless is his pursuit of Jesus!
Jesus is the cure for what ails us, and Bartimaeus shows us how to pursue him. Go to him. Cry out to him from your inmost depths. Entrust your heart and your life to him in your poverty and pain. And then, like Bartimaeus, follow him on his way wherever (and however) he leads.
One of the best ways to receive the healing and strength we need to follow Jesus in faith is by making a habit of frequent examination of conscience, repentance, and confession of sins. This comes easily to mind, because one of the regular acts of contrition is, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
If you haven't been to the Sacrament of Mercy in a while, please consider coming to Confession soon. You might have to trust me on this, but Reconciliation about once a month works wonders.
If you need help, try this resource that we use with our school children. It's a how-to guide for the Sacrament. And in order to get a sense of what you will confess - where God wants to heal your blindness - review one of the following examinations of conscience:
I love you, my friends, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Christ's Peace,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
Preparing for Mass?
Check out this weekend’s readings:
The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Christ Healing the Blind Man
Giuseppe Antonio Bianca, 18th Century