Readings
I - Sir. 42: 15-25
II - Mk. 10: 46-52
JUSTIN, THE MARTYR
Today’s Gospel passage is about the healing of the blind beggar on the road near Jericho. Three lessons can be drawn for life from this passage. One, though the beggar was blind, he was attentive and keen in capturing what was happening around him. When he realised that Jesus was passing by, he began to shout out saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”. Two, the crowds commanded him to be quite. The more they ordered the shouted even more louder calling out the name of Jesus for his healing. And, three, the gratefulness of the blind beggar. Regaining his sight the blind beggar followed Jesus, glorifying God. At all moments in our life, be attentive to capture the presence of God; call to him at the time of trouble without giving in to despair and discouragement and finally thank God at all times for all his marvels in our life.
Today the Church remembers St. Justin who gave up his life for Christ. Justin as a young man was principally attracted to the school of Plato but he later found that the Christian faith and religion answered his questions about life and existence better than the philosophers. Therefore he became a Christian and his writing defended the Christians. Justin combined religion and philosophy. He went from place to place trying to convert the learned and the clever by philosophical argument. He opened a school of Christian philosophy at Rome, where he and some of his disciples were finally martyred under Marcus Aurelius. Justin the martyr gave up his life for his faith and conviction in the Christian religion. We are Christians only when we have faith like the blind beggar and the saint of the day who was willing to give up his life for his conviction.
