
However the movie left out the most crucial part of the story. Krickitt’s husband Kim gave an insight to that when he said: ‘Both of us know we would not have made it through this ordeal without the Lord being in the centre of it all.’
My Dear Sisters and Brothers! Isn’t the insight into the life and healing of the blind man Bartimaeus? He wouldn’t have made it through without Jesus coming into his own misery. When Bartimaeus said to Jesus: ‘Rabbuni, let me see again’ he had revealed that there was time when his eyesight was fine. Unfortunately he had lost it. We don’t know whether it was because of an illness or an accident but he had become blind. However the blindness taught Bartimaeus how to beg, but not only people for money but also God for healing. Despite the limitations the blindness imposed upon him Bartimaeus had developed his hearing. Some people say that when one of the senses is lost the other senses become stronger. In Bartimaeus we see this and more. From today’s Gospel we learn that Bartimaeus did not miss people saying that Jesus was passing by. The blind beggar’s determination to approach Jesus must have been inspired by what he had heard about Jesus Christ before. He not only heard what people were saying about Jesus but he also reflected on it, treasured those testimonies he heard. So when he was crying: ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me’ his cry was not only loud but it was predominantly faith filled. ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me’ was Bartimaeus’ profession of faith in Jesus. That’s what Jesus heard in the beggar’s crying. The beggar’s faith filled cry was able to overcome the noise of the people who surrounded Jesus.
Pay attention how he asks Jesus: ‘Rabbuni, let me see again.’ Rabbuni is not just another title given Jesus. In order to appreciate today’s Gospel I would like to fast-forward the events and to arrive at a certain tomb on Easter Sunday. It was Jesus’ tomb. It was empty tomb. St John tells us that Mary Magdala was there crying. When the Risen Lord Jesus appeared to her, when she recognised him, she said: ‘Rabbuni, my beloved teacher.’ Over the previous three days when Jesus was taken away Mary was in agony. Her life was miserable because there was no Jesus in her life. She was longing for the Lord Jesus with her whole being.
My Dear fellow believers! We can understand Mary Magdalen as she spent some time with Jesus. She had come to know and love him. Bartimaeus hadn’t met Jesus before. He only heard of Jesus but as St Paul reminds us in the Letter to the Romans: ‘Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.’ It was enough and plenty for Bartimaeus. What he heard of Jesus he treasured and pondered in his heart. It permeated his heart. It was the seed of faith which grew within him.
Can we be surprised that when Bartimaeus was healed and when he heard from Jesus: ‘Go, your faith has saved you’ he went after Jesus, he followed Jesus. Could he find anything more worthy of seeing that the Son of God taking the final walk to Jerusalem to accomplish the Redemption by his Death and Resurrection? ‘Blessed are your eyes, for they see what the prophets and the righteous wanted to see.’
My Dear Sisters and Brothers! Let me recall the words of the Saint John Paull II from his inaugural Mass on October 22, 1978: ‘Do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Do not be afraid. To his saving power open wide the doors for Christ.’
The woman who lost a portion of her memory said: ‘a Scripture I really hold unto is: ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’ I believed I was called according to God’s purpose, and I followed with my whole heart.’
Her husband added: ‘It is amazing we live in a world that there is such a big deal made about a man and woman who simply did what we said we were going to do. It is strange to think of our marriage being portrayed as a remarkable love story, when, for us, we just did what we said we would do – we kept our vows.’
They kept them because they kept their faith in Jesus. Jesus was their Rabbuni. Is Jesus your Rabbuni?