The work of words

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today emphasize the understanding of the impact of the Divine word on our existence. The Book of Sirach underlines the totality of the ‘Word’ of God. It is an image of Creation which exists as the consequence of the Word or Will of the Divine. A reference to the all things having two sides by Divine intent is perhaps a guideline for humanity to avoid the “dual thinking”, right or wrong, binary analysis of situations. The psalmist proclaims praise for the word of the Lord which has created the universe and the love righteousness and justice which are the fruit of the intimate relationship with the Spirit and Word of the Divine. The Gospel of Mark tells of Jesus encounter in Jericho of the blind beggar, Bartimae'us, the son of Timae'us with Jesus and His entourage. The text here is densely packed with meaning. The beggar is pushed away. Is his disease a mark of his sins and he is unclean? We are told of his parent. Has he inherited a status to be unworthy of approaching the “Teacher”? The blindness that is healed by Jesus, the Word made Flesh, is not that of the beggar but that of the onlookers and readers of the text today. The faith given and advocated is that to see beyond appearance and assumption. To see as the Word sees!