30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B (2021)

Filed Under: Feasts Holy Days and Seasons

Sunday, October 24, 2021

The readings for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time for Year B make us think of how we are blind and how Jesus can give us new vision. The first reading (Jeremiah 31:7-9) speak of how God gathers his people together and heals them. The psalm (Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6) sings “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” The second reading (Hebrews 5:1-6) reminds us that a high priest must be called by God and does not seek to glorify himself. And in the gospel (Mark 10:46-52), Jesus heals Bartimaeus, a blind beggar.

Sight, healing, and answering the call of Jesus are themes for this weekend. Here are some ideas:

Minefield (Youth Group Game or VBS Game)

Minefield is one of those games which seems to have lots of variations. It is easy to set up, requires materials you can find in your meeting space, and can be played indoors, so it is a good option for youth ministry or Vacation Bible School.

Jesus Is Calling You

So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.

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The readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time for Year B invite us to be transformed by the call of Jesus. So possible themes for this Sunday are evangelization, vocations, and discipleship.

January 25 is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. St. Paul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus converted him from a persecutor of Christians to a fully committed follower of Jesus.

January 26 is the feast day of Sts. Timothy and Titus. St. Timothy is the patron saint of stomach ailments. St. Titus is the patron saint of the United States Army Chaplain Corps.

St. Angela Merici is the founder of the Ursuline order of religious sisters. She is the patron saint of the sick, the disabled, and all those grieving the loss of parents. Her feast day is January 27.

St. Thomas Aquinas is a 13th century saint and a Doctor of the Church. St. Thomas was influenced by the philosopher Aristotle and was known to for his logical and reasoned approach to theology.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He tells the number of the stars; he calls each by name.

This quote from St. John Bosco reminds us to think before we act

Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.”

When you meet other people in the Lord, you can be sure God’s surprises will follow. – Pope Francis

Let us learn to recognize that which leaves a good and lasting mark on our hearts, knowing that it comes from God. – Pope Francis