Exploring the Sunday Gospel – Last Sunday after Trinity

Today’s Gospel reading, the healing of the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, brings to a close the section of Mark’s Gospel opened by Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8: 29). At Caesarea Philippi Peter confessed Jesus as Messiah for the first time. Since then Jesus has been reshaping the disciples’ understanding of Messiahship, although they have found this teaching difficult to grasp. But now even the blind man sees Jesus for who he really is and, as a consequence, his blindness is healed.

For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of opening eyes. In today’s picture from their book, Special People, Aled and Sian are visiting the health centre. Sian is next in line to have her eyesight tested.

Lord Jesus Christ,

you bring sight to the eyes

and insight to the mind.

Open our eyes

to see you for who you are,

open our minds

to know and to do your will;

now and always.

Amen.

Next Sunday the Church is celebrating the Feast of All Saints. The Feast of All Saints invites us to remember those who have kept the faith alive for us, in our local church as well as in the church universal. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is forebears.You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.

Preparation Resources

Family Resources