Do not be deaf to cries of the needy, Pope says at Mass that concludes Synod
October 26, 2015
The 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops officially concluded on October 25 with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Pope Francis devoted his homily to the Gospel of the day, on the healing of the blind beggar Bartimaeus.
“Jesus’ disciples are called to this, even today, especially today: to bring people into contact with the compassionate Mercy that saves,” he preached. “When humanity’s cry, like Bartimaeus’, becomes stronger still, there is no other response than to make Jesus’ words our own and, above all, imitate his heart.”
The Pope warned against two temptations that were manifest in the Gospel:
None of the disciples stopped, as Jesus did. They continued to walk, going on as if nothing were happening. If Bartimaeus was blind, they were deaf: his problem was not their problem. This can be a danger for us: in the face of constant problems, it is better to move on, instead of letting ourselves be bothered. In this way, just like the disciples, we are with Jesus but we do not think like him. We are in his group, but our hearts are not open …
There is a second temptation, that of falling into a “scheduled faith”. We are able to walk with the People of God, but we already have our schedule for the journey, where everything is listed: we know where to go and how long it will take; everyone must respect our rhythm and every problem is a bother. We run the risk of becoming the “many” of the Gospel who lose patience and rebuke Bartimaeus. Just a short time before, they scolded the children (cf. 10:13), and now the blind beggar: whoever bothers us or is not of our stature is excluded. Jesus, on the other hand, wants to include, above all those kept on the fringes who are crying out to him. They, like Bartimaeus, have faith, because awareness of the need for salvation is the best way of encountering Jesus.
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Further information:
- Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Synod (YouTube Vatican)
- Santa Messa a conclusione della XIV Assemblea Generale Ordinaria del Sinodo dei Vescovi (Holy See Press Office)
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