REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus goes deeper into non-Jewish territories: from the Gentile Tyre and Sidon, he enters into the district of the Decapolis (Greek for “ten cities”), the league of cities in and around Palestine which were chiefly inhabited by Greeks. Endowed with certain privileges by the Romans, the league shielded the Greek cities from the encroachment of the Jews. Here Jesus heals a deaf man who has a speech impediment by touching his tongue and saying a word of command which Mark retains from the Aramaic language: Ephphatha, “Be opened!” This is not some magic word, but a word of power. As result, the man can now hear and speak plainly. The action and word have since been integrated into the Rite of Baptism: the priest, touching the mouth and ears of the newly baptized person, says, “Ephphatha!” Pope Benedict XVI explains, “This small word, ‘ephphatha — be opened’, sums up in itself Christ’s entire mission. He was made man so that man, rendered inwardly deaf and mute by sin, might be able to hear God’s voice, the voice of Love that speaks to his heart, and thus in his turn learn to speak the language of love, to communicate with God and with others” (Angelus, Sept. 9, 2012). 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 2023,” St. Paul’s, 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.