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| El Greco emphasizes that Jericho is the city of sin. This image crops out a bare-breasted woman, perhaps a harlot being led by a young man. Note in the background what appears to be a seduction and the contempt of the people on the right. You can almost hear them saying, “He consorts with sinners!” |
The homily at Mass today delved into the symbolic meaning of Jesus’ meeting with Bartimaeus the blind man. The Fathers of the Church say we should always consider the literal meaning of scripture first, and there’s no reason to doubt that Bartimaeus was a real person sitting on the side of the road. He had no doubt heard all the stories about Jesus and clearly believed, unlike many of the Jews, that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of David, prophesied in the Holy Books. And so he called out to Jesus when he heard he was passing by going up to Jerusalem, the city of God. Bartimaeus confirmed his belief in Jesus as Messiah, the “Son of David when “he called out in a loud voice,” “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
