CHARISMATA! Coaching for Abundant Life

Today's Gospel reading recounts the story of the blind beggar Bartimaeus.  He was a total outcast because many believed that his blindness was a punishment for some unforgiveable sin that he or someone in his family had committed. In short, people believed that he was the cause of his own misery and not worth the time or trouble to pay attention to. 

Jesus saw him differently.  Jesus saw his faithful heart and the precious soul that he was. Jesus saw in Bartimaeus a willing participant in his redemption... He saw a man hungry for dignity in the love of God and a believer in the power of that love to change and heal him.

So many of us can learn from Bart.  We look at ourselves or others as unredeemable, unforgiveable, not worthy of God's love.  We are often too full of pride to acknowledge our neediness, our "beggar status" when it comes to 'getting right with God.'

This is the saddest thing... when we sit in our blind stupor because we don't want to admit that we are stuck

Be like Bart- seize the opportunity to receive God's mercy, a new outlook and complete freedom

Have the courage to answer when Jesus asks:

What do you want me to do for you...