Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
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!” (Mk. 7:31-37)
Life changed drastically for all of us with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The hearty handshakes and warm embraces we were accustomed to exchanging with friends and family were replaced by rigid physical separation and virtual greetings. Joining hands during Mass at the Lord's Prayer and sharing Signs of Peace was stopped and, in many places, has yet to be restored out of an abundance of caution. One poignant moment for me was the 92nd birthday of my grandmother, when we did our best to remain safely distanced, and the bright smiling faces of my family members were all hidden behind masks. As we still face the effects of COVID and have learned out of necessity to learn, work, celebrate, and worship virtually, we have gradually reconditioned ourselves to function without being in such close quarters with others.
This Sunday's Gospel may then strike us as particularly unusual when we hear of Jesus sticking His fingers into the ears of a deaf man and placing his spit on the man's tongue. Such physical contact strikes us as odd and even unsanitary. Certainly, our Lord didn't need to come into close contact with the man for his miraculous healing. Think of the woman with a blood issue in Matthew 9:20-22 who had only to touch the hem of His garment to be healed. Consider also the centurion's faith in Matthew 8:8, who said to Him, "Say the word and my servant will be healed."
For me, the unusually close contact we see in today's Gospel speaks to the importance of intentionality. The man needing healing was deaf and mute, and thus Jesus touched his ears and mouth. Had Jesus begun by speaking or gesturing to the man, his understanding would have been limited because of his disabilities. Still, by Jesus touching the areas where he was deficient, He made it abundantly clear that he understood what the man needed to be done for him. The scripture reminds us to be specific in our prayer intentions. We can immediately address our needs, faults, and blessings to God through supplication, confession, thanksgiving, or adoration. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to "confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help."
The way Jesus unabashedly got "up close and personal" with the deaf man seeking healing is the same way He desires to get into our lives. The mystery of Jesus' Incarnation is that Divine Love was made visible and palpable. Some areas of our lives are awkward, discomforting, sticky, and even downright messy. The blessing is that our Lord is here for it all, and for that, we are thankful!
Jari C. Honora
Father Schmodry Council No. 52, Knights of Peter Claver
Past National Lay Board Member
St. Katharine Drexel Parish, New Orleans
Thank you for engaging with this blog. Should you find the content enriching, consider subscribing to Eat the Scroll Ministry for updates on our newest blog posts. Feel free to like and share this with someone you know. Evangelist/Professor Howard
Intentionality!! What a powerful word. I choose today to be intentional with my words and actions.
Thank you for being intentional with sharing this post.
Blessings,
Darlene Howard