31st Prison Awareness Sunday

It has become a tradition in the Catholic Church in the Philippines to observe the last Sunday of October as Prison Awareness Sunday to remind the faithful to be mindful of the plight of those in prison whether they are guilty or innocent of the crimes which were accused of them.

This Sunday marks the 31st Prison Awareness Sunday with the theme: “Lord, that I may SEE, HEAR and ACT on the plea for help of Your people.”

Coincidentally, the Gospel this Sunday talks about Jesus healing a blind man named Bartimaeus.

At first, we may consider those in prisons as the Bartimaeus in the present times because they are blind of God’s goodness; because the world has blinded them to commit crimes; and because staying in prison made them blind. There is some truth to that.

But in reality, we are also the Bartimaeuses in the modern time. Our indifference to the sufferings of those in prison – guilty or innocent – makes us also blind. Every time we turn our eyes away from the prisoners or cover our ears from their sad stories or refuse to act on their behalf we too have become blind.

Let us be like Bartimaeus in the Gospel today. Let us cry out loud to Jesus for healing that we may SEE, HEAR and ACT on the plea for help of the prisoners.