Dear Friends,

I've heard about a lot of illness going around lately. In fact, I was one of the victims. Sometimes, it seems that no matter how many precautions a person takes, the dreadful thing happens. That person comes down with something that makes him or her miserable for days. In my own situation, it was nearly two weeks of suffering, with only occasional moments of respite. Nevertheless, it is amazing how one can grow spiritually and learn from suffering.

While I was enduring my battle with the virus (or whatever it was), I had no fever or aches, but I was weakened enough to be cooped up in the house. I didn't want to infect anyone, nor did I have any desire to go out. I tried to remain as isolated as possible so that I could recover enough for the parish festival. Fortunately, I did get my energy back for that weekend's Masses and for the festival itself. Unfortunately, my sinuses became inflamed enough that they became infected. So I had to start a regimen of antibiotics. I'm much better now, thank God. But the time of recuperation was, as I mentioned above, rather fruitful for me.

I was blessed to have had several parishioners who brought food to me at the house, priests who offered help with daily Masses, and others folks who filled in the gaps when it came to taking care of parish activities. I also had scores of people praying for me to recover. It is amazing what homemade chicken soup can do! I'm convinced some kind of miraculous ingredients go into that incredible concoction that people brought to me! It is an eye-opening experience to know how much love and care that the faithful have for their priests.

My isolation from people was disconcerting, but simultaneously comforting. In some ways, I felt useless not being able to be in the office working. It was as if I was in a cocoon and could not break out. Things were going on outside, but I was inside where I was obscured from that which was going on around me. Yet, there were also the blessings. I obviously needed some down time. I was given the opportunity to be relieved of stress. Oddly, I think this whole experience gave me an insight into the world of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus in the Gospel this weekend.

For a lifetime, Bartimaeus suffered from blindness. For so long, he lived in a world that he could not see. Things were always going on around him that he would miss. The world was going by, doing its thing, and Bartimaeus could only experience it in a limited way. In darkness, he had to rely on the compassion of others to assist him, whether it was because of his begging or just by their genuine charity. I can't imagine what it would be like never to be able to admire the beauty of a sunset, or the glistening of water on a lake. Imagine never being able to appreciate a person's facial expressions as he receives a gift or even knowing what you yourself look like!

When Jesus passed by the way, Bartimaeus had one longing. He wanted to see. Jesus could sense the longing and urgency within his voice as he called out. There was tremendous hope in Bartimaeus' request. Looking deep into the man's heart, Jesus granted his desire. To see the world for the first time, and to discover the life around him, must have been utterly elating! The suffering he had endured had all been wiped away. No more would he have to carry the burdens of the past. He was released! No doubt, he had been healed spiritually and emotionally as well.

We may not be blind, but the Lord invites us to see with new eyes. Some of us may be blinded by our daily stresses and responsibilities. Perhaps we don't see the blessings around us because our world has been darkened by our constant problems, or our tiredness, or our frustrations. But when we call out to the Lord, he hears us. Let us ask Him to help us to see beyond the mundane, laborious tasks we have. Let us pray that He will open our eyes and discover the wonder of His kingdom. God bless!

Fr. Paul