HEAL DEAFNESS_Sunday Gospel Reflection

TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Mark 7, 31-37

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

 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. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). 

 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

HEAL DEAFNESS

José Antonio Pagola
English Translation by Fr.Valentine de Souza S.J.

Rev.Fr.Valentine de Souza S.J.

  Mark tells the story of the healing of a deaf and dumb man with the clear intention of teaching a lesson. The sick man is a very special case. He neither hears nor speaks. He is locked within himself hardly able to communicate with anyone. He doesn’t know that Jesus is passing by, close to him. It is other people who lead him to the Prophet.

 The behavior of Jesus, too, is special. He does not place his hands on him as requested, but takes him aside and leads him to a prívate place apart from the people. There he works intensely first on his ears and then his tongue. He wants the sick man to experience his healing touch. Only a deep encounter with Jesus will be able to cure such an intractable deafness.

 It seems all that effort is insufficient. The deafness wont go away. Then Jesus has recourse to the Father, source of all salvation. Looking up to heaven he sighs and shouts only one word at the sick man: “Effeta”. That is, “Be opened.” This is the only word Jesus speaks in the whole story. It is not directed to the ears of the deaf man but to his heart.

 Without doubt Mark wants this word of Jesus to echo strongly in the Christian communities that will read his story. He knows that some people are deaf to the Word of God, Christians who are not open to the Good News of Jesus and do not speak to anybody of their faith. Deaf and dumb communities that hardly listen to the Gospel and communicate it poorly.

 One of the most serious sins of Christians is perhaps this deafness. We do not take time to listen to the Gospel of Jesus. Our hearts are not open to receive his message. So we do not know how to listen with patience and compassión to the suffering of so many people , who receive hardly any affection or care from anyone.

 At times you could say that the Church Jesus brought forth to proclaim his Good News, goes its own way, far from the reality of the worries, fears, struggles and hopes of the people. If we do not listen well to the call of Jesus, we will not infuse a message of hope in the lives of those who suffer.

 There is something paradoxical in some pronouncements of the Church. She teaches great truths, proclaims very positive messages, but they do not touch the hearts of people. Something of the kind is happening in these times of crisis. Society is not looking for “social doctrine” from experts, but listens attentively to a forthright message, inspired by the Gospel and proclaimed by a Church sensitive to the suffering of victims, a Church that instinctively goes to their aid inviting everyone to help those who need it most to live with dignity.

 Make the message of Jesus heard

Jose Antonio Pagola, vgentza@euskalnet.net , San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain.

English Translation by Valentine de Souza S.J. Mandal, Gujarat , India.394650