October 24, 2021 – 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102421.cfm)

“What is your heart’s desire?” Surely we know and are familiar with the words: Your heart’s desire. It somehow describes the steering and longings of our heart directed towards something in the future or yet-to come. Its fulfillment or completion in our lives somehow drives us to move on and continue with life, as well as gives us hope and meaning to who we are now and who we will soon become. For our heart’s desire is ultimately the life we choose to be. Each of us has his/her own heart’s desire. For instance, the heart’s desire of blind Bartimaeus is to see. As well as, to speak is the heart’s desire of a dumb and mute. To walk is the heart’s desire of a lame. To be free again is the heart’s desire of a prisoner. To love is the heart’s desire of a lover. And, we do need to always be in touch, claim, and do something with our heart’s desire for this is what God also desires of us. And Bartimaeus has a lot to teach us about claiming, asserting, and working on our heart’s desire in faith.

We hear in our gospel today not only how he was healed of his blindness, but above all, how Bartimaeus gained his sight through the mercy and miracle of Jesus. As Jesus was about to leave Jericho, Bartimaeus took his last chance for Jesus to hear his heart’s desire of gaining sight. Despite interruptions and hindrances of others, through the blind man’s insistent for His mercy, Jesus finally heard and asked him: “What do you want me to do for you?” Here then, Bartimaeus expressed before the Lord his deepest pleasure, his heart’s desire in life: to see, to gain sight. A great miracle happened indeed, a blind man can now see. And all of this happened also because of the blind man’s faith in Jesus as well as in His heart’s desire.

From this, Bartimaeus may also teach us how to be faithful as well as to gain and receive our heart’s desire from our Lord.

1. Be humble. Like Bartimaeus, we need to Learn to cry “Lord, have mercy” “Junim, jabirul bepusoso. O Dios, Ma-awa ka, Ginoo, Maluoy ka kanamo”. We do need to humbly recognize and believe Jesus as our Lord who grants us our heart’s desire – our life we want & choose to be. We cannot be and have such life on our own, we need the Lord. 
2. Never allow others to stop you. Despite discouragements or hindrances from others, honor and claim your heart’s desire before the Lord, for as promised “whoever asks, receives, seeks finds, knocks and be opened”. Don’t let others dampen, constraint and gagged your heart’s desire because by the end of the day – it is your heart’s desire, the life you choose to be before the Lord. Pray and ask for it then, regardless of others, and above all commit to it.
3. Let go of the past. Like Bartimaeus, we need to learn how to get up and move on in life. For us to live in and through our heart’s desire, we must learn how to let go of our past cloak – our past life of blindness, disabilities and limitations. If we are to live the life we want to be, we must also be willing to leave behind and be detached of our life as it is and as before, for with our heart’s desire, life will never be the same again, but now better than before.
4. Follow the Lord. Gaining his sight, Bartimaeus went on not his way but followed the Lord’s way. Jesus gave him not only sight but also offered sacred life with God by following Jesus.  We can thus fully live our heart’s desire through our discipleship – by following the Lord, being Christian. Away and apart from Him, we lose our way, our life, and our desire.

Indeed, as our Psalm proclaims “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy” since we are reminded today that our God is a hands-on God who never denies us our heart’s desire, and even continues until now to do miracles & get things in our life to offer us a life better than we desire. And such great blessing and opportunity require our faith in Jesus with humility, commitment, detachment and discipleship.

Now, if & when the Lord asks you: “What do you want me to do for you?” in other words: “What is your heart’s desire?”, what would then be your response?

Continue your miracles of great things in us, Lord. Make us own our heart’s desire before you, for as we follow you in life, we trust that You will what is better for us now and always. Amen.