March 3, Thursday Weekday

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made. — Psalm 33:6

Mass Readings: Sirach 42:15-25 / Mark 10:46-52 

Bread and Sugar 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man responds, “Master, I want to see.” This passage reminds me of my friend Mary Ann. Blind from birth, she’s lived with her handicap for more than 60 years. Like Bartimaeus, she begged God to see. Physically, nothing changed; spiritually, mountains moved. “God answered my prayers,” she says, “not like I wanted but in the way He knew best. Had He restored my vision, I might have caved in to temptation. I now realize that gaining my sight isn’t worth losing my soul. I accept God’s will and trust His wisdom.” 

Mary Ann asked God for sugar; He gave her bread. As St. Francis de Sales wrote, “Better to have bread without sugar than sugar without bread.”

Prayer: Lord, keep the eyes of our souls fixed on the true prize: eternity with You.