Religious Education 

GOSPEL            Mk 7:31-37 

 A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 

He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak. 

Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’ 

A beginning point for discussion of this week's Gospel with children 

• Who has been sick and had to stay at home from school? 
• Who looked after you? 
• What did they do to make you feel better? 

In today’s gospel Jesus showed concern for someone who could not speak or hear. 

• What did Jesus do? 
• Why did Jesus touch the man so that he could hear and speak? 

Jesus showed how much he cared about people who were sick or in need. 

• Who are the people in need that we should care about? 

We pray that we will always be kind and care for people who are in need.