Gospel – Mark 7:31-37
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Reflection on the Gospel
Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.
We need to listen to God’s Word with open ears and open heart. Then we need to share His Word with others by speaking of God’s love and goodness.
As a rule, it is deafness which leads to muteness. Jesus took the deaf/mute man aside so that the noise of the world might not prevent him from hearing his words and appreciating them. Where can we go to be attentive to Jesus’ word without outside distraction?
St. John Baptist de La Salle says that,
“Because you are in charge of instructing children, you should make yourself expert in the art of speaking to God, of speaking about God, and of speaking for God. Be convinced that you will never speak well to your students and win them over to God except in so far as you have learned well how to speak to Him and to speak about Him. (Med. 64.2)
All it takes is a small amount of time each day to open ourselves to hearing God.
Ms. Margaret “Peggy” Perkins
Director of Campus Ministry – Christian Brothers Academy-Syracuse
Saint John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever.