Be Opened

 

 Mk 7:31-37

Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man

³¹ Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. ³² There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

³³ After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴ He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). ³⁵ At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

³⁶ Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. ³⁷ People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

As we approach Ash Wednesday we might put ourselves in the shoes of this deaf mute and ask that Jesus open our ears,  touch our tongues and enable us to hear his word more clearly and incorporate it into our lives. How many times have we heard or read the Gospels, and yet how far are we still from living our lives according to them?  Lent is a time of penance, purification and behavior changes.  Let us take time today to reflect on our lives and see at least ONE area that we can "clean up" and live more accordingly to the teachings of Jesus. Let us willingly allow him to say Ephphatha to us!

Bro Rene

Dear Jesus, open my eyes and ears that I may hear and see more clearly how I can live according to your teachings. Amen.