First reading Genesis 3:1-8
The fall of man
The serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.
The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Responsorial Psalm 31(32):1-2,5-7
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven.
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,
whose sin is remitted.
O happy the man to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no guile.
But now I have acknowledged my sins;
my guilt I did not hide.
I said: ‘I will confess
my offence to the Lord.’
And you, Lord, have forgiven
the guilt of my sin.
So let every good man pray to you
in the time of need.
The floods of water may reach high
but him they shall not reach.
You are my hiding place, O Lord;
you save me from distress.
You surround me with cries of deliverance.
Gospel Mark 7:31-37
‘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.’
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Ephphatha!
In today’s gospel, a group of people brought a deaf man with a speech impediment to Jesus and begged Him to heal him. They were concerned for their friend and wanted the best for him. We need family and friends to guide us to Jesus in our faith journey. Likewise, we too can help play a role in bringing people to Jesus. Thus, we need others as much as we are needed by others. Let us give thanks for those whose life and faith have helped us to become the persons God desire us to be. We also commit to becoming channels of God’s presence to others.
We might not be physically deaf, but often, we are unable to hear what God has to say to us and fail to put His word into practice. Today, Jesus comes to us and tells us, “Ephphatha”, “Be open”. Jesus needs us to open the ears of our hearts to listen attentively to His life-giving words so that we can proclaim how good and loving our God is.
Reflective question:
What prevents me from truly listening and putting His word into practice?
What prevents me from truly listening and putting His word into practice?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
