Be
Opened to the Life-Giving Word
Is 35:4-7a; Js 2:1-5; Mk 7:31-37 (B 23)
“Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed, and
prepared for her role as Mother of God” (DO)
Today,
the liturgy takes us to contemplate the healing of a deaf-mute man who had a
speech impediment” (Mk 7:32). Jesus took him away from the crowd, put his
finger into the man’s ears, touched his tongue and looking up to heaven in
prayer said in Aramaic, “Ephphathah” meaning “Be opened.” And immediately his
ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly (vv 33-35). The
Aramaic word, Ephphatha, became part of the Rite of Baptism from the
days of the primitive Church to our own times. In one of the rites of the
baptism, the priest touching the baby’s ears and mouth and pray, “The Lord
Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to
receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith to the praise and glory
of God the Father.”
What
is the significance of Jesus putting his fingers into the man’s ears? Gregory
the Great, says, “The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord puts
his fingers into the ears of the deaf-mute, he was opening the soul of man to
faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Why did Jesus take the deaf man away from the
crowd? To be healed of deafness to the word of God it is needed to distance oneself
from the crowds around because the healing encounter with Jesus happens in
one’s own heart. Our ears are to receive the Word of God. To do this we have to
move away from the distracting crowd. We must have quiet time at least for twenty
minutes. We need to focus on what the Lord is saying to us.
Mark
wrote his gospel in the times of persecution. In such a situation speaking up
for Christ was dangerous. It demanded life. The story of the deaf-mute is
apparently aimed at those members of his community who could not bear witness
to Jesus. Since they were deaf to the words of Jesus, they had a speech impediment
in speaking about him. There is a parallel between the deaf-mute and Jesus’ followers.
The deaf-mute can neither hear nor speak properly. The disciples who cannot listen
to Jesus will develop an impediment in their proclamation too. They need
healing. Such healing cannot stop from
proclaiming Jesus.
Do we
realize that we have a speech impediment to the message of Jesus? As
individuals and as church we need to come to Jesus for healing. And this can
happen in this Eucharistic celebration. Healing is sometimes physical,
psychological, but always spiritual too. There are times that we are down on
ourselves. We are not happy with ourselves. Do we really have a right to be
negative about someone whom the Lord loves? His love, his mercy, his compassion
are beyond our understanding. “Ephphatha, be opened!” He heals us because he
wants us to be the vehicles of his healing for others.
“The
creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator” (DO)
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