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YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU!

Vickie Figueroa, Associate Director Cultural Ministries and Black Catholic Ministry

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” (Mk. 10:46-52)


As a high school junior, I struggled to complete assignments in Algebra II. My academic interests were not mathematics but literature, history, and language. I read stories about fascinating people, lifestyles, and events, which fueled my imagination and kept me engaged in learning. I attended a Catholic high school in Ohio and was among a tiny group of African American students who clung together like a family. I reached out to my small group of friends for help and received some help, though not enough to help improve my grade to a C or 80%.


I was afraid to ask my instructor for help because I didn’t want it to seem like I didn’t belong in that class or the school. Yet, I didn’t want to disappoint my community because, in tradition, my shortcomings become those of others in my family. So, I worked as hard as possible, yet my classmates were far ahead. One day, mid-school year, the teacher asked me, in front of my classmates, if I was planning to attend college, and I answered that I wasn’t sure. He replied, loudly and frustratingly, “Then you’re wasting your time in my class.”

After that incident, I emotionally withdrew from friends and activities. I was embarrassed for myself and my family. At school, I walked around in a fog for months. I no longer cared about stuff – I just existed daily.


One day, a teacher distributed forms for college placement tests, which all students at my school were expected to take. I could have declined, but something inside me said go for it, even though I wasn’t one of the students being “prepped” for college. I filled out a form and took the exam, hoping I’d do okay to avoid one more embarrassment. I stopped by the school office to pick up my results. The secretary asked, “Is this you?” I replied, “Yes.” She seemed surprised and said my scores were good enough to qualify for scholarships. 

At that moment, the fog was lifted from my life, and I could see, meaning I could imagine a future for myself again. I followed that path, which began with college, a corporate life, a spiritual life, and eventually, full-time ministry.


The story of Bartimaeus in Mark’s gospel resonates with me. As a young girl cut down, I was blind to life around me, and I sat on the side of a busy road, invisible, listening to others make plans for the weekend and their futures while I did the minimums to make it to another week. Then, one day, I decided I wanted to live again – I wanted to see but needed help. I reached out with the bit of power I had, and through a long process, I was healed. With his astonishing faith, Bartimaeus begged for healing from Jesus, and once healed, he continued to follow Jesus. Once I was healed and could see again, I knew I had to follow the path the Lord set for me – to use the gift of being healed to benefit the community and make a difference.


Being healed by Jesus means experiencing weighty spiritual, emotional, and sometimes physical restoration. To me, it means being made whole again and knowing you have a role in helping to build the kingdom. Following Him as a disciple involves committing to live according to His teachings, growing in faith, and sharing His message of hope and salvation with others. Once you are healed and can see, you must tell others of the beautiful things the Lord has done for you. Like our Mother Mary, one of Jesus’ greatest disciples, proclaimed when she learned of God’s plans for her, “For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”  


Let’s be bold and faithful like Bartimaeus, devout like Mary, and grateful. When we receive God’s healing and his Word, we must take those gifts into the world and infuse them daily into our families, parishes, playgrounds, and workplaces so that others can also receive healing and have the opportunity to follow the Lord. 

 

Author: Vickie Figueroa, Associate Director

Cultural Ministries and Black Catholic Ministry

Archdiocese of Detroit


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