FR REMI HOMILIES/REFLECTIONS AND SERMONS

Homily for Friday of the 13th week in ordinary time  Genesis 17:1,9-10,15-22. Psalm 128:1-2,3,4-5. Matthew 8:1-4. In the first reading, God made a promise to Abraham that Sarah, his wife, would give birth to a son. God is ever faithful. He fulfils his word in his own time, and according to his plan. With God, nothing is impossible. He will fulfil his promises.  Like Abraham, no one would believe that Sarah would still  give birqth at the age of ninety. God works in a mysterious way. Age, time, or place are no barriers to him in fulfilling our utmost desire. In today's Gospel, Jesus grants the deepest desire of the leper to be healed and cleansed of leprosy. In this miracle, we see the leper's acknowledgement of our Lord Jesus Christ as Lord, and he made his request, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean" (Matt.8:2). Jesus did not just heal him by pronouncing the word but went the extra mile by stretching out his hand and touched him. Like the leper, we mus...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Genesis 15:1-12.17-18; Ps.105; Matthew 7:15-20 Be grateful still The first reading of today opened with a conversation between God and Abram. Every conversation between God and man can be properly called prayer. So, in today’s first reading, Abram was in prayer. It is interesting to note that despite the fact that Abram had been so blessed by God, he still maintained and respected a good prayer life. The wealth of Abram did not make him too busy to have time for God. Abram represents those who seek God not just for their prayers to be answered but because they want to enter into and tarry in a loving relationship with God. For Abram, the joy and satisfaction from his wealth was never a substitute for the joy of being in God’s presence. When we also consider the content of Abram’s prayer, we realize that he remained humble in his interaction with God. God has blessed him with so much wealth but without a child. Surely Abram desir...

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Genesis 13:2.5-18; Ps.15; Matthew 7:6.12-14 Blessings and Responsibility From the first reading of today, we learn that it is one thing to be blessed by God and another thing to have the wisdom to handle God’s blessings. Every blessing, answered prayer or miracle comes with some level of responsibilities. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with joy that we either ignore or do not recognize the responsibility inherent in the source of our joy. Without this responsibility, that which is a blessing, may no longer seem like it in the long run. Abram and Lot where individually blessed by God in cattle, silver, gold, tents and so on. It was clear that the hand of the Lord was on them. But this blessing became a source of strife for the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. Maybe they were quarrelling over grazing space or competing for costumers, or any other thing. Abram was wise enough to notice and admit that this strife can gravitate into a quarr...

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME JUNE 2023. Readings: Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33; Matthew 7:1-5 Theme: The essence of Fraternal Correction In today's Gospel, Christ cautions us against the standards we employ in assessing others. His directive to refrain from judgment does not equate to ignoring the deeds or misdeeds of our brethren. It is a common misinterpretation to equate correction with judgment, leading some to dismiss well-intentioned guidance as intrusive criticism. Today's Gospel should not serve as a justification for rejecting constructive feedback. True fraternal correction is distinct from judgment; neglecting to offer it may lead us to face the same inquiry posed to Cain in the Scriptures: "Where is your brother?" A lack of accountability in this regard invites divine scrutiny. Christ's instruction to first address our own faults before attending to those of our neighbors is often misconstrued. If we interpret this to mean that we...

HOMILY FOR THE 12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Jeremiah 20:10-13; Ps.69; Rom.5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33 “ _Have no fear of men” (Matt.10:26)_  Our Victory over Wickedness The readings of today rest on the premise that there is wickedness in this world. This wickedness is not as a result of natural evils but it is being perpetuated by men and women. God created everyone to be good but some persons continue to derail from how they were created and are becoming increasing wicked. But the focus of the readings is not the wickedness in the world per se but the children of God who continue to be targets of wickedness. In the first reading, Jeremiah cried out as a result of the plot against his life. In the gospel, Jesus prepared the minds of his disciples that will be confronted with wickedness. St. Paul, in the second reading, noted that sin entered the world through one man and this resulted to death. However, the three readings reveal that evil has been conquered by the one who destroyed ...

Homily for the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. Isaiah 49:1-6. Psalm 139:1-3,13-14,15. Acts 13:22-26. Luke 1:57-66,80. Theme: John Prepares the Ways of the Lord. Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the birth of St. John the Baptist. Firstly, the date chosen for this birth was inspired by the prior choice of the date of Christmas six months' interval between the two births. Secondly, besides the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, this is the only feast of the birth the Catholic Church celebrates. For the Catholic Church, the birthday of the saint is the day of his death. It is the birth into heaven. Since we have proofs from the Scripture that John the Baptist was born in the grace of God, we celebrate his birth into this world. St. Luke tells us: "And when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in my womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:41). Even the archangel Gabriel foretold of this to Zechari...

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 2Cor.11:18, 21b-30’ Ps.34; Mathew 6:19-23 True Treasures The Gospel of Matthew from where today’s gospel reading is taken basically presents Jesus as a great teacher. This is probably because the audience of Matthew were Jewish Christians who were confronted with a crisis of faith as they had to choose between fidelity to Jesus and the Jewish law and traditions in which they had been raised. In preaching about the kingdom of God, Jesus, as the fulfilment of the Jewish law, warns his disciples about the enticement of earthly treasures. This is because while earthly treasures are temporal and short-sighted, we are destined for eternity. The treasures of this world are manifestations of the providence of God but when we see them as the substance of our confidence, joy and security, they constitute idols. Jesus tells us in the gospel reading that the only thing that will last forever is the treasure of heaven. This heavenly treasure is of...

Homily for Thursday of the 11th week in ordinary time  2 Cor.11:1-11; Ps.111; Matthew 6:7-15 OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN PRAYER What is Prayer? The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God. It is entering into a relationship with the Divine with the sole purpose of total surrender to Him. Prayer is a relationship between a superior and a subordinate. Therefore, what counts for an effective prayer is the submissiveness of the subordinate to the superior. The subordination of the subordinate is not a matter of words but of attitude. Words are only employed to communicate ones submissiveness. In today’s gospel, Jesus corrects the prayer mentality of the Gentiles who likened prayer to a rhetoric exercise in which the effectiveness of the prayer is dependent on the beauty of the lyrics employed. Prayer is not an entertainment wherein God is a guest to be entertained. The length of time and the strong command of words used in prayer are ...

Homily for Wednesday of the 11th week in ordinary time  2Cor.9:6-11; Ps.112; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18 We only reap what we sow! The first reading of today talks about reaping in the measure that we have sown. Often times, this biblical text is interpreted in terms of financial contribution to the work of evangelization. While this interpretation is not wrong, there are more to it. Christianity is a religion that is lived from the conscience. The commandments (summarized as Love) only guide us for proper conscience formation. It is this conscience that will form the basis for our judgment on the last day. Only God can judge the intentions of our hearts; so, in the gospel reading, Jesus tells us to beware of trying to capture the praises of men through sycophancy. The judgment of men is not always the judgment of God because men can only see the externals. God, on his part is able to notice and judge that which is not noticed by men, whether good or bad. So, Jesus noted “and your Father w...

Homily for Tuesday of the 11th week in ordinary time 2Cor.8:1-9; Ps.146; Matthew 5:43-48 When Love becomes difficult! Jesus presents us with another difficult teaching in the gospel reading of today. He is asking us to love our enemies if we want to be different from the tax collectors and the Gentiles who ordinarily will do good to only those whom they love. A sign that we are Christians is when we are able to repay evil with good. But again, there is a tiny line between paying evil with good and encouraging evil by some unscrupulous kindness. So, Jesus went on to give us an example of how to love our enemies. First, we consider an enemy to be someone who hates us and works against us maliciously. What Jesus wants us to do differently is not to hate and act maliciously towards our enemies in return. When we sin against God, God does not in turn sin against us; that will reduce God to our imperfect state. It is this reduction that Jesus wants us to guide against. So many persons have l...

Homily for Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time.  2 Corinthians 6:1-10. Psalm 98:1,2-3ab,3cd-4. Matthew 5:38-42. In a world where success is based on what we have acquired in terms of our material acquisition and huge sum of money in our bank account, which is even the case with men and women of God, St.Paul, in the first reading lists his experiences of endurance in times of suffering, hardship, humiliation and persecution, on account of preaching the Gospel as his curriculum vitae as a servant of God. How many of us today, especially those of us who dedicate our lives to preaching the Gospel, can confidently present our trials and tribulations as evidence of our service to God? Let us learn from the life of St. Paul. It is not all that glitter that is gold. We must learn the virtue of endurance because endurance is the root of all goods, the mother of piety, the fruit that never withers, a fortress that is never taken, a harbour that knows no storms. In today's Gospel, Jesus ...

Homily for the 11th Sunday in ordinary time Ex 19:2-6a; Ps 100; Rom 5:6-11; Mt 9:36-10:8. Beloved friends in the Lord, we are once again assured of God’s love for us. He keeps watch over us and even when we do not know our own needs, He goes ahead of us to set them in place. Many a time, we do not know how much the Lord does for us without our asking yet we struggle to hold on to faith if what we requested is not done according to our desire. The first reading tells us how God reached out to Israel, proposing His love to her. He had delivered Israel from the slavery of Egypt and showed Himself mighty in their sight. But that His plan for the redemption of humanity may be fulfilled, He singled them out among other nations and called them to obedience of His covenant. Only by this shall they be known to be special unto the Lord and be constituted for God into a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Without obedience and faithfulness to our covenant of love with God, we may not enjoy the ...

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY) 2Cor.5:14-21; Ps.103; Luke 2:41-51 The attainable goal of Holiness Having celebrated the Sacred Heart of Jesus yesterday, today we celebrate the Immaculate of Mary. To be sacred and to be immaculate both mean to be holy. So, the unity between Jesus and Mary was not just that of Mother and Son relationship but essentially one of holiness. Mary is united to Jesus because Mary took up the virtue of holiness. Today’s celebration therefore teaches us that what unites us with Jesus is not our portfolio, or number of years we’ve been in the Church or whatever, but the extent to which we struggle to be holy. In the first reading of today, St. Paul begged the Corinthians (you and I inclusive) to be reconciled to God. He invites us all to come into Christ so that we are made new, putting away the old. Being a new creation is essentially being holy. It is this holiness that made God to send his Son to die for our sak...

HOMILY ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS, YEAR A  Deut.7:6-11; Ps.103; 1John 4:7-16; Matthew 11:25-30 A loving heart transforms others The heart is the center of human thoughts and the influencer of human actions. Often times when people are referred to as good or bad, it is their hearts that is being described. From one's actions and inactions, the heart is known. Today, we are celebrating the heart of Jesus as a result of what Jesus himself is and has been to us. First, the fact that Jesus who is God is able to possess a heart means that he was truly and fully man. God became man in Jesus for reason of what God wanted to do for man. If God was not love, Jesus would not have incarnated, and he would not have had a heart. To have possessed a heart already means that Jesus is love. Love is something pure because it is selfless; thus Jesus’ heart is Sacred. The first reading and the gospel reading took a position in describing the sacred heart. This position is one t...

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 2Cor.3:15-4:1.3-6; Ps.85; Matthew 5:20-26 Authenticity In the gospel reading of today, Jesus invites us to a higher level of spirituality; not like that of the Scribes and the Pharisees. We have often times read of how Jesus reprimanded the Scribes and the Pharisees principally for their hypocrisy. By reprimanding them, Jesus was not condemning them but inviting them to repentance. But the one who tries to put the homes of other in order, should first put his/her own home in order. This is what Jesus set out to do in the gospel of today by specifically warning his disciples not to be hypocritical like the Scribes and the Pharisees. Sycophancy is a sure path to failure; so, if Jesus does not save his disciples from it, his mission will surely fail when comes to rest in their hands. Now, it was very easy for people to attach the sentiments of holiness and good works they had of Jesus to his disciples, since the disciples were always w...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 2Cor.3:4-11; Ps.99; Matthew 5:17-19 A sense of shame! In the gospel reading of today, Jesus remarked that he has not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfil them. This means that in Jesus we shall not find a relaxation of any of the commandments. Jesus rather comes to help us understand the Spirit of the law so that our adherence to the commandments will bring us to the level of love. In the first reading, St. Paul noted that the written code kills but the Spirit gives life. By written code, St. Paul was referring to a regimented adherence to the commandments; a kind of obedience that brings us to a destination of hypocrisy or a holier-than-thou attitude. Jesus is God, and so in Jesus, we come to understand the Spirit of the law. In sum, Jesus teaches us how best to obey the law so that we become persons of love. Jesus also wants us to be teachers of the law. If we cannot teach others how best to keep the law, Jesus ...

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA  2Cor.1:18-22; Ps.119; Matthew 5:13-16 Created to be Valuable It’s give a lot of confidence when you have someone or something who is reliable. This confidence comes from the assurance that your positive expectation for reaching out to that person or thing is never disappointed. In the first reading of today, St. Paul invites us to develop absolute confidence in God. This is because, from God, only a YES answer is gotten. This YES does not mean that things will always turn out as and when we desire but that God who is faithful in himself will never stop being faithful; God will always be God. The everlasting faithfulness of God is what gives us the nerve to trust that His Word is alive and active even in our time and in our lives. Beloved, God is ever faithful. But don’t be surprised when unfortunate happenings may force you to think otherwise. St. Paul tells us that God has put his seal upon us and given us...

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 2Cor.1:1-7; Ps.34; Matthew 5:1-12 A New way of Living Today’s gospel is the beginning of Jesus’ inaugural sermon. What is Jesus inaugurating? He is inaugurating the kingdom of God. And so, He sets out to outline the principles that govern this new kingdom as against those that govern the world. This beginning of Jesus’ inaugural sermon which is called the beatitudes, attaches blessedness to attitudes that one would have otherwise regarded as cowardice. For example, the world celebrates inordinate acquisition of wealth but Jesus attached blessing to a spirit of detachment. It becomes obvious that a Christian cannot but remain a sign of contradiction to the world. The world does not celebrate mourning, gentility, hunger for justice, mercy, purity, serenity and longsuffering. Jesus exalts these qualities as virtues so that we may find joy in embracing them. By so doing, we will be pointing to the reality of heaven and the transience of t...

Homily for the Solemnity of the most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)   Dt 8:2-3,14b-16a; Ps 147 1 Cor 10:16-17;  Jn 6:51-58. Beloved friends in the Eucharistic Lord, the Holy Mother Church invites us today to celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The feast is  celebrated usually on the Thursday following the Trinity Sunday or transferred to the Sunday after it as it is the case here. The feast was instituted to honour the Lord’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament to rekindle faith against theories that reduced the Eucharist to mere symbol or metaphor, as it is still happening across the world today. Two notable events were said to have also encouraged the promulgation of the feast, namely: a vision of St. Juliana of  Cornillon and the Miracle at Bolsena of a Priest who demonstrated doubt of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. It was Proclaimed a liturgical celebration in 1264 by ...

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Tobit 12:1.5-15.20; Tobit 13; Mark 12:38-44  Clothe yourself with the breastplate of righteousness   Since this week, the first reading has been from the book of Tobit. The story has been sequential and instructive. Yesterday, we saw light at the end of the tunnel. Today, through divine revelation, everything is making sense. Today’s first reading opened with Tobit asking his son Tobias to see to the wages of the man who went with him (Tobias) to go marry his wife Sarah; unknown to them that it was an angel of God. But one obvious truth here is that Tobit was consistent in being right and just. During his glorious days, he remembered the poor and helped in burying the dead. During his years of predicament, he will not give excuse for stealing. Now that all has been made well for him and his family, he insisted that the labourer must be given his due wage, with some extra. Consistency is an attribute of truth; so we can say t...

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Tobit 11:5-17; Ps.146; Mark 12:35-37  Do not neglect the Spiritual dimension! In the gospel reading of today, Jesus taught and corrected the perception the Scribes had of him that he is the son of David. Ordinarily, it is not wrong to perceive Jesus as the son of David, for he was of David’s line. In fact, this title of son of David is necessary for authentic Christology because it attests to the humanity of Jesus Christ. So, Jesus was not particularly against the name son of David. What Jesus corrected was a perception of him as son of David only, and nothing more. This would mean that the humanity of Jesus is the only way we can describe and know Jesus; this will further amount to a neglect of the divinity of Jesus Christ. It would mean that Jesus is just an ordinarily man (maybe with special gifts) and nothing more. The basis of this myopic view of the Scribes may be that they knew Jesus’ background too well. Some of them may ev...

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, Tobit 6:10-11;7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a; Ps.128; Mark 12:28-34 My Confidence in Prayer In the first reading of yesterday, we read of the predicament of Sarah, daughter of Raguel which was occasioned by the evil demon Asmodeus. We saw how Sarah cried to God and how God sent Raphael to heal her (as well as Tobit). Today, Tobias is present in the house of Raguel, as the only legitimate person to marry his daughter Sarah. He will be Sarah’s eighth husband. While Raguel acknowledged the fact that Sarah rightfully belongs to Tobias, he is reluctant to give her to him for fear that what happened to the seven husbands may happen to Tobias. What is interesting here is that even though it was not stated whether Tobias knew what was responsible for Sarah’s predicament or not, he was not only going to marry Sarah, but also as soon as possible. It was until Tobias and Sarah were alone in the bedroom, that we understood the source of Tobias courage: ...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, Tobit 3:1-11a.16-17a; Ps.25; Mark 12:18-27 Pray about that mockery Two days ago we read of how Tobit’s neighbours mocked him. Yesterday, we also read of Tobit’s wife mocked him. Even though Tobit was an upright man, being human, these mockery got to him. In like manner, today’s first reading presents us with the predicament of Sarah, the daughter of Raguel who was also mocked by her father’s maid because the evil demon Asmodeus had consecutively slain seven of her husbands before they could be with her as wife. Ordinarily, these maids would not dare talk back at Sarah but because of her predicament, they dared to mock her before her face. Both Tobit and Sarah decided to cry to God with their pains of mockery. Their sufferings were of no fault of theirs; yet, it became a cause for their ridicule. Sometimes, when we find ourselves in the situation of Tobit and Sarah, we make the mistake of focusing on those who mock us. We try to get...

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE I (JUNE 06, 2023) Tobit 2:9-14; Ps.112; Mark 12:13-17 Thou shall not covert thy neighbour’s goods The tenth commandment says: thou shall not covert thy neighbour’s goods. As clear as this commandment is, hunger, in its various forms, continues to constitute a major justification for the disobedience of this commandment. We may have witnessed, watched or read of situations where a person caught stealing, gives the excuse that he/she was pushed into the vice by the pain of hunger or the need to meet one emergency situation or the today. Today, moralists still argue whether such a person is actually justified for stealing or not. However, Tobit shows us the right way to go, in the first reading of today. After doing something noble yesterday, Tobit is unfortunately struck with blindness. A blind man is incapacitated. So, Tobit had to depend on others to care for him. The Tobit who had so much to eat and even to share with the poor...

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. BONIFACE ) Tobit 1:3;2:1a-8; Ps.112; Mark 12:1-12 A life of Accountability From the parable Jesus told today, we see that from time immemorial, there were always those who have always lost the sense of responsibility. When irresponsibility is fully blown, those involved will begin to do all within their power to avoid the day of reckoning. A child who takes the academics seriously will not get extraordinarily uncomfortable with the news of examination. In the gospel reading of today, Jesus aimed at telling the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the elders how they have become irresponsible. Their irresponsibility cued from the fact that they were worse than those entrusted to their care. Their laxity was nothing to write home about. They lost the sense of service and acted as though they were masters of themselves. They turned their positions of service into one of absolute authority; truly, no one could question them. Beloved, we ...

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Year A Exodus 34:4b-6,8-9. Daniel 3:29-30,31,33,32,34. 2 Corinthians 13:11-13. John 3:16-18. Theme: In What Kind of God Do You Believe? Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This, the ineffable mystery of God's intimate life, is the central truth of our faith and the source of all gifts and graces. This feast was established by Pope John XXII to be celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday. The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, which is three persons in One God. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are not three Gods but one God. They are not three persons in one Person, neither are they three gods in one God. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. It is a mystery, meaning that it is something above human understanding but not contrary to human reasoning. This mystery was not revealed to the Jews of the Old Testament. They were not yet fit to accept t...

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 8TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR 1 Sirach 51:12c-20b; Ps.19; Mark 11:27:33 The essence of Wisdom! In the first reading, the speaker prayed for the gift of wisdom and expressed great joy and thanksgiving to God upon receiving the gift. The joy of the speaker is great because he knows the value of wisdom and that is why he earnestly sought for it. It is not enough to be zealous for the good. It is not enough to avoid sin and live a virtuous life. We need to be wise like the serpent even as we are gentle like doves. In the gospel reading, we see wisdom at play in Jesus’ encounter with the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the elders. The question they put forward to Jesus (By what authority are you doing these things?) expressed their unbelief and at the same time, was a form of mockery on Jesus’ mission. Without wisdom, it could have been an occasion for emotional outburst from Jesus. Sometimes, people throw some words at us not because they are ready for effect...

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR 1 (JUNE 02, 2023) Sirach 44:1,9-13; Ps.149; Mark 11:11:25 What the Lord expects of us! On two different grounds, Jesus was disappointed in the gospel reading of today. In each of these occasions, the agents of Christ’s disappointment did not go unpunished. Expectation precedes disappointment. Christ expected fruitfulness from the tree and attitude of prayer from those who rather sold and bought in the temple. For Jesus to have cursed the tree means that all that was necessary for the tree to be fruitful was provided for the tree. For Jesus to have driven the buyers and sellers in the temple means that the people were very much aware that it was wrong to buy and sell in the temple. That explains why Jesus who was always teaching in order to emancipate ignorance, took up a decisive action. Beloved, the God who created us and saved us, has done so with so much expectations from us. He expects us to remain connected with him in pr...

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR 1  Sirach 42:15-25; Ps.33; Mark 10:46:52 Expose it to Jesus! At the beginning of the gospel reading of today, it was mentioned that a great multitude followed Jesus as he was leaving Jericho. We are not told who they were neither was it recorded why they followed Jesus or what exactly they benefited from following Jesus. But immediately the case of the beggar came up, issues were clearly spelt out: his name was given as Bartimaeus, his problem was mentioned to be blindness, his reason for wanting to meet with Jesus was so that his sight could be restored; and in the final analysis, his request was granted. The difference between the multitude and Bartimaeus that brought about a more profound encounter between him and Jesus was the fact that Bartimaeus acknowledged his weakness. Prior to his meeting with Jesus, he humbled himself and begged to earn a living. When he learnt that Jesus was passing by, he was not ashamed to ...