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Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
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Gospel text (Lk 18:35-43): As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” (…). Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” (…).

Eternal life, the "unknown known reality"

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, we should consider our own life reflected in Bartimaeus: as he was, weary and "blind" by the roadside, so we too are facing our life. We suspect that this earthly life is not, in fact, the Life. And like him, we open ourselves to Jesus, by pleading "to see", because the man who only focuses on himself lets eternal Life run away.

Human life, because of sin, began to experience the burden of wretchedness in unremitting labor and unbearable sorrow, so that immortality is more of a burden than a blessing... There are moments, however, when, suddenly, we perceive "something" of what "Life" should be like. By contrast, what we call "life", in our everyday language is not real "life" at all.

—We want the blessed "Life" itself, the true one, but we have no idea what we ultimately desire. We do not know this reality at all, even in those moments when we think we can reach out and touch it. This unknown "reality" is the true hope which drives us. The term "Eternal Life" is intended to give a name to this known "unknown".