William Blake the Healing of Bartimaeus

Zoom Link for Eucharist and Parish Meeting

Sunday's Leaflet

Parish Vestry Election Meeting

October 27 One Service 9:30 AM with Brunch

Parish Vestry Election Meeting

Standing for her first full two year term as Warden; Wendy Turgeon

Standing for her second three year term as a vestry member, Marian Brownlie;  Standing for his first three year term as a vestry member, Christopher Griffing

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Election Eve

Sauerbraten Dinner

WITH RED CABBAGE, SPÄTZLE, VEGETABLE & GERMAN DESSERTS

EAT-IN or TAKE-OUT 

Monday – November 4^th. 2024

5:30pm

26 St. Mary’s Road – Shelter Island

Tickets: $50 per person ($25 per child)

CALL 631.749.0770 for tickets 

For those willing to contribute a dessert, here's a suggested recipe for German Apple Cake:

German Apple Cake Recipe

The Healing of Bartimaeus Julia Stevanko

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Old Testament

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Thus says the Lord:

Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

proclaim, give praise, and say,

“Save, O Lord, your people, 

the remnant of Israel.”

See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,

and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,

among them the blind and the lame, those with child and

those in labor, together; 

a great company, they shall return here.

With weeping they shall come,

and with consolations I will lead them back,

I will let them walk by brooks of water,

in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;

for I have become a father to Israel,

and Ephraim is my firstborn.

The Psalm

Psalm 126

In convertendo

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, *

then were we like those who dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *

and our tongue with shouts of joy.

3 Then they said among the nations, *

"The Lord has done great things for them."

4 The Lord has done great things for us, *

and we are glad indeed.

5 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, *

like the watercourses of the Negev.

6 Those who sowed with tears *

will reap with songs of joy.

7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *

will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.



The Epistle

Hebrews 7:23-28

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but Jesus holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Link to Fr. Plant's video/homily/study on this Sunday's Gospel

The Gospel

Mark 10:46-52

Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Some Reflections

 Cry Out And It Shall Be Given

As Jesus went into Jericho town,

Twas darkness all, from toe to crown,

About blind Bartimeus.

He said, "My eyes are more than dim,

They are no use for seeing him:

No matter—he can see us!"

"Cry out, cry out, blind brother—cry;

Let not salvation dear go by.—

Have mercy, Son of David."

Though they were blind, they both could hear—

They heard, and cried, and he drew near;

And so the blind were saved.

O Jesus Christ, I am very blind;

Nothing comes through into my mind;

'Tis well I am not dumb:

Although I see thee not, nor hear,

I cry because thou may'st be near:

O son of Mary, come!

I hear it through the all things blind:

Is it thy voice, so gentle and kind—

"Poor eyes, no more be dim"?

A hand is laid upon mine eyes;

I hear, and hearken, see, and rise;—

'Tis He! I follow him!

- George Macdonald 1825-1905

The following quote is from Plato’s dialogue The Timaeus. In Mark’s Gospel, Bar-timaeus is the “son of Timaeus”. " Gordon Lathrop suggests that "Timaeus" may be a reference to Plato, and that Bartimaeus is throwing off the philosopher's cloak when he comes to Jesus. This passage about sight reflects a detached contemplation of the cosmos, a cosmology very different from one Bartimaeus will encounter as a follower of Jesus about to undergo his passion.

(Timaeus is speaking). The sight in my opinion is the source of the greatest benefit to us, for had we never seen the stars and the sun and the heaven, none of the words which we have spoken about the universe would ever have been uttered. But now the sight of day and night, and the months and the revolutions of the years have created number and have given us a conception of time, and the power of inquiring about the nature of the universe. … God invented and gave us sight to the end that we might behold the courses invented and gave us sight to the end that we might behold the courses of intelligence in the heaven, and apply them to the courses of our own intelligence, which are akin to them, the unperturbed to the perturbed, and that we, learning them and partaking of the natural truth of reason, might imitate the absolutely unerring courses of God and regulate our own vagaries.  

 – Plato  (428/427 BCE – 348/347 BCE)

  The Timaeus