Eighth Thursday of Ordinary Time

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”  And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”

Even good people can sometimes try to dissuade us from doing the right thing. Like the blind man, there are times in our lives when we need to cry out to God or when we need to depend upon Him. There are times when we see some injustice and want to speak out. However, during these times there might be people who tell us to remain silent. They might tell us not to bother God with our silly concerns. They might say we shouldn't rock the boat. They warn us against doing what our conscience tells us. It is during these times that we must not allow others to pressure us into silence, but rather we should cry out all the more. God will hear us and give us the courage we need to do what is right and perhaps even give others around us a reminder that we should feel free to approach God with any issue and allow Him to lead us where He wants.

Are we the ones who rebuke others for depending too much on God or warn them against speaking up when their conscience dictates? Or are we the ones being rebuked by others? If so, then how can we remain patient and persistent in our calls for help?

O Lord, give us the courage to call out to you in all things.

Amen.