Today's Gospel Reading - Sunday, September 9, 2012 with Reflection

1^ST READING - Isaiah 35:4-7

PS A L M - Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

R: Praise the Lord, my soul!

7 The God of Jacob keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives good to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free.(R) 8 The Lord gives sight to the blind; The Lord raises up those that were bowed down; the Lord loves the just; 9 The Lord protects strangers. (R) The fatherless and the widow the Lord sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. 10 The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia. (R)

2^nd READING - James 2:1-5

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the people.

 

Mark 7:31-37

31 Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. 32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” – that is, “Be opened!” – 35And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. 36 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. 37 They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

SABBATH

SPITTING ALLOWED HERE   I have a sister who has been in Germany since 1980. She was a breech baby. There is this traditional belief in the Philippines that a breech baby could loosen a fishbone stuck in someone’s throat by gently massaging it. The Gospel presents Jesus putting His finger on the deaf man’s ears, spitting with His saliva, and touching his mouth. Immediately the man was able to speak upon hearing Jesus said, “Ephaphta,” which means “Be opened.” This mirrors the message of the First Reading from Isaiah: “The ears of the deaf be cleared... then the tongue of the mute will sing....” Jesus took the deaf away from the crowd. A one-on-one encounter would assure the deaf that he need not worry. This echoes Isaiah’s pleading, “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” By the time Jesus was about to perform the healing, the deaf must have been fully confident: strong and fearless. A part of Jesus was infused on the man. It may very well mean “breathing” or putting a divine substance on the afflicted man. Jesus chose to reveal His love and healing power to a lowly deaf who surely was poor materially, emotionally and psychologically. The healing touch of Jesus brought marvel to the eyes of the spectators. While they were warned not to tell anyone of the miracle, they could not contain themselves. It proved to be too much for them. They were compelled to tell about their Jesus encounter — the Jesus touch, the healing explosions. Many of us suffer from deafness. We find it difficult to hear and listen to the cries of the poor and needy. Many of us are mute. We see so many deplorable things. We wake up witnessing the face of poverty and sufferings of countless people. Yet, we choose to keep quiet and remain indifferent to their plight. In the Eucharist, let us seize the moment when we would have a one-on-one encounter with the divine Jesus — and in so doing, the much needed healing be received. Fr. Erick Y. Santos, SFO   REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you deaf and mute to the calling of those in need?   Spit on me, Lord, that I may be healed. Touch my ears and my eyes to listen to and see the suffering around me. St. Peter Claver, priest, pray for us.

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