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| Jesus Healing the Blind Bartimaeus |
The letter to the Hebrews speaks of the saving work of Jesus, who through his death and resurrection re-established our relationship with God and one another. This challenges us to see our earthly life in light of our true purpose: being in relationship with God and one another forever.
In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus asks a blind man: “what do you want me to do?” The man answers: “I want to see.” Jesus says: “Your faith has saved you.” And the blind man saw.
Today I want to reflect briefly upon a man of extraordinary faith. Paul, initially known as Saul of Tarsus, was well educated in Judaism and Greco-Roman philosophy. He had been a rabid persecutor of Christians.
But on a journey to Damascus in Syria, he was awestruck by a light from heaven. The visionary experience of the risen Christ turned Paul’s life upside down. He became one of the greatest evangelizers, preaching salvation for all. This controversial religious genius established faith communities throughout the eastern Mediterranean, and authored letters shaping the history of Christian thought. Paul eventually was beheaded by order of the Roman emperor Nero.
I believe Paul, well versed in philosophy, had a keen insight into what makes human beings tick. Everyone yearns for happiness. We often do things that we think will make us happy, only to end up miserable. Why? Because we sometimes confuse pleasure with happiness.
Etched into Paul’s vision of human beings were the words of Jesus: “I have come so that they may have life--God's life-- and have it more abundantly.”
For Paul, the path that leads to the fullness of life is discipline. Think about it. When we eat well, exercise often, and sleep regularly, we feel more fully alive physically. When we love, when we give priority to significant relationships, when we lend a helping hand to others, we’re more fully alive emotionally. When we study the achievements of the human spirit in various cultures, our world grows, and we’re more fully alive intellectually.
And when we take a few moments each day humbly with God in prayer, carefully contemplating God’s word, we experience more fully the transcendent dimension of our lives, the spiritual, the awesome presence of God.
All of these life-giving endeavors require discipline. Discipline sets us free to attain our ultimate purpose: life with God. Freedom is indeed a prerequisite for love.
St. Paul grasped this. He preached that Christ came to reconcile us with the Father and satisfies the craving for happiness that preoccupies our hearts: ultimately a yearning for friendship and intimacy with our Creator.
