Good News ReflectionFOR NEXT SUNDAY: October 25, 200930th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA: For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection, please go to Catholic Digital Resources:http://catholicdr.com/calendar/October/30thB.htm - Preview a sample
Next Sunday's Readings:Jer 31:7-9Ps 126:1-6Heb 5:1-6Mark 10:46-52http://www.usccb.org/nab/102509.shtmlUSCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_10_25.mp3
After Jesus touches our lives – answers a prayer, gives us a healing, provides a life-changing insight, or makes any other kind of difference – what do we do next? Our life has been changed by divine grace. Do we make the most of this new opportunity?
God never forces us to take a new direction or follow a certain path, not even if we've made a bargain with him, like for example: "Lord, if you heal me, I will go to Mass every day."
Jesus says to us what he said to Bartimaeus, the man he healed in next Sunday's Gospel reading: "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Go where?
Sometimes his instructions are a little more informative than that. When he cures someone from sin, he adds: "Go and sin no more". Okay, but go where?
Every step we take is important. Where we go and what we do next makes a difference that ripples off into the future with ramifications (blessings and/or woes) that are impossible for us to predict. Jesus isn't down-playing the significance of this. Rather, what happens next is so important that he wants us to have full control over it.
Jesus told Bartimaeus "Go YOUR way." And what did Bartimaeus do with that freedom? He "followed HIM on the way." He opted for the best possible direction. His life changed dramatically, not only because he had been blind and now he had good eyesight, but because he wanted to learn from Jesus and become one of his followers.
How many times have we returned to the old familiar path after an encounter with Christ? If following him means taking a new direction, getting involved in a new ministry, or changing careers or friends, we too often settle back into the same routines as before. But following Jesus is a life-changing adventure if we're sincere about our faith.
Following Jesus and learning from him should be our highest priority. Every encounter with Christ should change us – even at Mass when we reunite ourselves to him in the Eucharist.
Questions for Personal Reflection:Think of the last time Jesus responded to your need for help. What changed afterward? How long did the change last?
Questions for Community Faith Sharing:Describe a time when you changed directions in your life because of an encounter with Christ. What did Jesus do for you? How did you figure out which way to go afterward?
STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org* To join and become a member, go to: http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/
© 2009 by Terry A. ModicaFor PERMISSION to copy any of my reflections, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm
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