Homily - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: Is. 35:4–7a, James. 2:1–5, Mk 7:31–37

Our scriptural readings this weekend speak of the goodness of God. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks powerful and comforting words to frightened people. Aren’t we sometimes frightened as we live through uncertain times? And to us, the prophet reminds us of God’s goodness as he heals, provides and restores our faith.

The second reading from the letter of St. James also speaks of God’s goodness by reminding us that God shows no partiality. While we may judge each other by externals or by how we may benefit from them, our God judges by different standards. In Christ all people are afforded the same dignity as adopted daughters and sons of God.

In the Gospel, we see God’s goodness in action, as a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment is brought to Jesus for healing. Taking him away from the crowd, in a most intimate and caring moment, Jesus, using touch, spit, a groan, and a prayer, speaks powerful life-changing words to the deaf man — Ephphatha, that is, “be opened!” And immediately, the man was healed and spoke plainly. The man who could not communicate his thoughts and feelings can now participate fully in the life of the community. From loneliness and isolation, he is now made whole. One can only imagine the great joy he feels.

Be Opened. These two words are our point of reflection for this week. The unnamed deaf man represents all of us as we are often deaf to the voice of God and cannot speak plainly the truths of his message. Therefore, the Gospel asks of you and me, in what ways do we need to be opened by God through Jesus? One obvious clue comes from Jesus’s location. We meet him in the district of the Decapolis, not in Jewish territory but pagan territory performing this miracle. Jesus crosses boundaries to proclaim the Good News that God cares for all peoples. What boundaries do you need to cross to go forth and proclaim the Good News of Christ? Is it the boundaries of religion, race, neighborhood, education, or gender?

Be Opened. Can we be open to beauty, goodness, and truth in a society so polarized by politics?

Be Opened. To know that we can learn from each other, especially from those who are different from us.

Be Opened. To the complications of life and the reality that we cannot always have easy answers.

Be Opened to the voice of God communicating with us from places we least expect.

Be Opened to the voice of God calling us to people and places that make us uncomfortable.

Be opened so that we may hear God’s invitations to service and recognize the cry of those who are suffering.

Being Open can be challenging as it takes us out of our comfort zone. However, to grow and mature in the spiritual life, we must be open to the voice and power of God, who continually calls us forth to our best self.

The deaf man in today’s gospel received a great gift from Jesus: the ability to hear and to speak plainly. In the sacrament of Baptism, the priest (as I will do today) touched our ears and mouth and spoke the words: May the Lord Jesus who made the deaf to hear and the mute to speak grant that you may soon receive his word with your ears and profess that faith with your lips to the glory and praise of God the Father. 

May we go forth, opened by the power of Christ to proclaim the Good News, for God is Good: All the time, and all the time: God is good.

He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.