Being deaf and mute must be terrible! For people with these disabilities, the world is literally shut or shrunk. Hearing and speaking are two of the most fundamental ways by which we establish relationships and, therefore, build life. Without them, life is shriveled. Hence, we cannot but rejoice over Jesus’ healing of the deaf-mute in the Gospel. Jesus leads the man from his quiet, limited, closed sphere to an exciting, full, open world. We may be suffering from some form of being “closed in,” unable to hear and to speak as we should. Let us approach Jesus and beg him to break that barrier and open our world once again so we can live a fuller life. Let us not allow anything to shut us in for the rest of our lives. Do you feel shut in, enclosed, and unable to function well? Ask Jesus to help you open your world.

Gospel • MARK 7:31-37

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.” SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2019,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.