REFLECTION

Gospel

Again Jesus 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

In today’s Gospel reading, we witness another instance of Jesus healing those in need. We see early on that some people brought a deaf man to Jesus. The man did not bring himself to Jesus and ask to be healed, rather those in his life saw his struggle and sought to do something about it. This is a beautiful reminder that good things happen to us often in times due to the good will and prayers of those in our community. How amazing is it that this man was loved by those so much that they were willing to go to this length for him!                                                                                                                                

When the deaf man arrives, Jesus takes him away from the crowd so He can be with him alone. This gesture shows Jesus’s desire to know us as individuals and care for our personal needs. Lastly, he orders the crowd not to tell anyone what they saw there. Jesus’s desire to do these works was not for the spectacle, but rather for the impact He knew it would have on the life of the man and those around him. 

May we pray that each one of us may have the chance to experience God’s presence with a certainty similar to the deaf man in today’s Gospel.