The imagery of sight and blindness pervades the readings for this Sunday. The Church uses this metaphor to help us understand how we are blinded by sin and are in need of Christ's light in order to follow him.

Today, with sight’s grace and faith’s blessings, let’s powerfully pray St. Mother Teresa’s prayer to Jesus as our mission in living life in its fullest this week: “He is the life that I want to live, He is the light that I want to radiate; He is the love with which I want to love, He is the joy that I want to share He is the peace that I want to sow; Jesus is everything to me, Without him I can do nothing.”

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time—October 21, 2018 View Opening the Word™, Year B - Ordinary Time Weeks 22-34 Series Share TopicShare Page (18 ratings) Have you ever longed for a role, a job, or place in life that you would give just about anything to have it? And then, after you finally get what you wanted, you realize you bit off way more than you can chew? In today’s Gospel, two of Jesus’ disciples ask for a huge role—to partake of Jesus’ passion and death and sit at his right and left side in his eternal kingdom. They have no idea the suffering that they would be partaking in in order to have this desire fulfilled though. With gentleness and love, Jesus tells them he will give them some of what they ask for, but not all. Hearing that we can’t do it all or have it all requires deep humility. Are you ready to put on profound humility?

Today, as we celebrate World Mission Sunday, let’s join our two hands: the right hand of saints and the left hand of disciples, and then pray Jesus’ words: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Have you ever felt like you really have something down? Maybe a sport, a task at your work, or getting the laundry folded regularly! You have finally mastered it. And then, when you thought everything was (finally) going as you planned and worked for, something comes up. You get hurt, your work changes, a child gets sick and everything is thrown off once again. Today we will encounter this in a man who has been seeking to follow the commandments since he was a young boy. He thinks he has it all together in order to have eternal life. But when Jesus invites him to something deeper, something more, he is crushed, as he will have to “start over” in some ways. Are you willing to take the next step to growing closer to Jesus?

Today, test yourselves: when the collection basket comes around, do you give the same amount you gave five years ago? Or do you think that while ten dollars is no value in the supermarket, it’s an extraordinary sum in Church? When you share your treasure with love and joy, remember always the words of St. Paul: “You will be enriched in every way for your generosity”. (2 Cor 9:11)

The readings for today focus on God’s vision of marriage, which is a hot topic in our culture. Today the Church invites us to meditate on the truth about marriage. And as we’ll see, God created marriage to reveal the very meaning of our existence, and it is very good!

Marriage is the carrier of the sanctity of life! And how noble it is that you – husbands and wives, are channels of God in bringing life into the world. You are couples in love, and couples for life – FOREVER!