Daily Reflection – 2/14/2020
Sacred Scripture
Again he left the district of Tyre 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.”(Mark 7:31-37)
Reflection
There is a powerful lesson and a powerful invitation in today’s scripture.
We are invited to act like Jesus. We are invited to change lives. We are invited to leave the comfort zones in which we live and live out his command.
In a world where there are so many raised voices. So many fingers pointed. We forget that there is a larger silent majority. Those that have no voice . . . those that believe they have no voice. We are meant to discern the place where there is an obstacle, a blockage, a complex that stops others from being listening and speaking persons. When a child is ill and we help her to put words on what’s wrong, we give her a space to grow in. When an adolescent is in the midst of conflicts and breakdowns, he/ she is happy to meet someone who can say a word of confidence, a word of hope, a dynamism that lets that child find value in life.
When someone is rejected by their peers or friends that they loved and feels that no one cares for them we are urged to recite, “Ephphatha – Be opened.” When someone who knows the truth has been silenced because no one respects his or her opinion, we must cry out, “Ephphatha – Be opened.” The way we say, “Be opened,” is by saying the words of encouragement that others need to hear.
We need to be both the one who is healed as well as the one who heals. We are to hear the cries of the poor. Open our ears, our hearts and our minds to the plight of those around us. We are to speak about the injustices that afflict our world; we are not to sit as if we were mute when we can speak and make a difference. But if we are to be healed, then we must heal others. Pull the earphones from those who are listening to destructive and pessimistic lyrics. Say the good things, the words of hope that people need to hear. Call to participation those who are sitting idle on the sidelines of life. Let others hear, let others speak and in doing so they will say again, “That one does all things well; the deaf hear and the dumb speak.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and inflame my heart with love and compassion. Make me attentive to the needs of others that I may show them kindness and care. Make me an instrument of your mercy and peace that I may help others find healing and wholeness in you.”
Daily Note
The Lord treats each of us with kindness and compassion and he calls us to treat one another in like manner. The Holy Spirit who dwells within us enables us to love as Jesus loves. Are you willing to share that love and compassion with others ?. Are you prepared to accept the invitation by Christ to open the eyes and hearts of those around you to the love that is theirs to claim?
