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 of him scolded him. “Be quiet!” they said, 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,
Jesus 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.
Reflect
There’s an old proverb that says that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Sometimes
people living their faith and striving for holiness are treated as squeaky wheels who
need to be quieted. They make us uncomfortable by calling us to a higher standard
and by making us aware of our own sins and failures.
We see examples in today’s readings. People try to silence the blind man who is calling
out to Jesus. The first reading describes the time surrounding the Greek conquest of Israel.
Many people abandoned their faith and adopted Greek customs, ultimately leading to those
who remained faithful to the covenant being silenced, sometimes violently.
Even in our day, those who live faithfully may face persecution. In some places, churches
have been destroyed and worshippers have been injured or even killed. In other places,
people are not permitted to speak of their faith and evangelize others. Let each of us pray
for our persecuted brothers and sisters, that God will strengthen them, keep them safe, and
bring them home to him.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023