Frank Sinatra famously sang: “I did it my way.” This song remains one of his greatest hits, not only because of how well he sang it, but because of its meaning. We would all like to do it our way – to have everything go according to our own plans, like the self-made person in charge of his or her own destiny. We think this is possible because we’ve bought into two lies. The first is, “what we do, WE do,” rather than it being done through God’s grace and generosity. The second is that “self-reliance is freedom.” And perhaps, it is indeed true that we have ventured out on a career path and found success without the explicit assistance of others. Maybe, we single-handedly completed business projects or maintained a household without another human being to really help us. But, underlying these gains are the truths that God’s love is what sustains us and allows us to achieve goodness, and true freedom comes through communal life in Christ. Faith is what allows us to align “our way” with what God desires for us. Through marriage we join our way to that of a spouse and perhaps children. Through religious vows or a commitment to worthy causes, we join with the way of a community. As we continue to surrender ourselves to others for the sake of those we love and the greater good, we become more free in relying on God to guide us. He guides us in the way of compassion and love, as revealed by Jesus, His Son. Jesus reveals God’s way of love to us and invites us to join Him. For some, this is straightforward; Jesus said to Peter: Come after me (Mt 4:19), and to Levi: Follow me (Mt 9:9). Others like Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, hear Jesus’ voice and cry out to Him for pity. Our faith is a gift as we acknowledge our own need to see and follow Christ. Like Bartimaeus, we may not see clearly at first, but we can listen closely for Jesus, who never gives up on us. We, too, will find restoration, healing, and redemption. Bartimaeus joined a sizable group of others following Jesus. It is not easy and takes courage to do so, but we, too, are surrounded and supported by others: the community of disciples known as the Church. Jesus continues to heal and guide us, especially through the Eucharist that unites us to Him. We become more Christ-like in our compassionate caring for ourselves, others, and the world. Instead of being self-made, we are Christ-made, and our destiny is our redemption in Him as God’s way fully becomes our own.
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