(Jer.31:7-9; Ps.126:1-6; Heb.5:1-6; Mk.10:46-52) "They departed in tears, but I will console them and guide them." Through Jeremiah the Lord prophesies that His people Israel "shall return as an immense throng," that He will "gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst." And in our gospel we see Jesus "leaving Jericho with His disciples and a sizable crowd," picking up the blind Bartimaeus along the way. How the Lord fulfills the ancient prophecies. And now Jesus stands as our high priest in heaven, "offer[ing] gifts and sacrifices for sins," bringing all by His cross to the kingdom of God. "Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing." Brothers and sisters, we are all like the blind Bartimaeus, sitting "by the roadside begging," calling out to the Lord for forgiveness and guidance, saying to Him as He calls us before Himself, "Master, I want to see." How blind we all are, how deaf and how lame. How we need our vision renewed by the Lord of all, that indeed we might see as He sees, with a purity beyond the scope of our race, to penetrate the mysteries which shroud us like the blind man's cloak in this life. We must throw off the darkness, cast aside the shroud of death that weighs upon our shoulders by our sins and take upon ourselves the cross of Christ and walk with Him "on the way," on the road to the New Jerusalem. How shall we know the "brooks of water" which satiate our thirst, "the torrents in the southern desert" that cleanse our arid souls and bring them to life once more, except by the tears we cry, except with hearts reaching out and voices reaching up to Him who is so far above our ways? In His way alone we will find the "level road" on which "none shall stumble." Only by this cry will we know the graces our high priest offers all our lives. "Although [we] go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, [we] shall come back rejoicing, carrying [our] sheaves." For the Lord shall not forget us; He will not pass us by and leave us in our tears alone. But through our tears we shall see His holy light descend like a dove of peace upon our souls. Yes, we shall see; our eyes will be opened and our path will be set. And He shall guide us every step of our way. And "our mouth [will be] filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing" on that holy Day. Praise our merciful God! Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "No Paranoia" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us follow Jesus on the way to the Cross that we might follow Him to Heaven. YHWH, in Jesus your Son we are returned to sonship with you; we who had been exiled because of our sins are brought back to your presence, and as a Father you embrace us and open our eyes to see your glory. Restore our fortunes, O LORD. In tears we come before you, to your Son we cry out for mercy, and He cannot but hear and answer our call, He cannot but call us before Himself and grant the desire of our heart. O let us have the faith needed to believe in Him and so find the blessing only He holds. Jesus, you are our high priest, you are Son of David and Son of God. Let us run to you for healing of our blindness and lameness that we might see you and follow you along the way to the New Jerusalem. In the peace of the Father let us rest, in the joy of our salvation. With all your saints let us enter your gates, O Father in Heaven, by the grace that comes to us in your only Son.