Making the most of divine opportunities

After Jesus touches our lives — answers a prayer, gives us a healing, provides a life-changing insight, or makes any other kind of difference — what do we do next? Our life has been changed by divine grace. Do we make the most of this new opportunity? 

God never forces us to take a new direction or follow a certain path, not even if we’ve made a bargain with him, such as: “Lord, if you heal me, I will go to Mass every day.” 

Jesus says to us what he said to Bartimaeus, the man he healed in this Sunday’s Gospel reading: “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Go where? 

Sometimes his instructions are a little more informative than that. When he cures someone from sin, he adds: “Go and sin no more”. Okay, but go where? 

Every step we take is important. Where we go and what we do next makes a difference that ripples off into the future with ramifications (blessings and/or woes) that are impossible for us to predict. Jesus isn’t downplaying the significance of this. Rather, what happens next is so important that he wants us to have full control over it. 

Jesus told Bartimaeus “Go your way.” And what did Bartimaeus do with that freedom? He “followed him on the way.” He opted for the best possible direction. His life changed dramatically, not only because he had been blind and now, he had good eyesight, but because he wanted to learn from Jesus and become one of his followers. 

How many times have we returned to an old familiar path after an encounter with Christ? If following him means taking a new direction, getting involved in a new ministry, or changing careers or friends, we too often settle back into old routines. Comfort zones are hard to leave. But following Jesus is a life-changing adventure if we’re sincere about our faith. 

Following Jesus and learning from him should be our highest priority. Every encounter with Christ should change us — even at Mass when we reunite ourselves to him in the Eucharist. 

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