What do I not hear? Who do I not hear?
A deaf man approaches Jesus in today’s Gospel from St. Mark, asking him to lay his hand on him. Jesus “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.”
Open my ears too, Lord. Help me to hear. Help me to hear your voice. And help me to hear the voices of those around me. Help me to hear…
…the call of the homeless man I pass in the street
…the pain underneath a seemingly innocuous comment of a student or colleague
…the need of a friend for my presence
…the invitation in another’s criticism of me to grow
Say to me, as you said to the deaf man, “Ephphatha!”, so that my ears may be always opened to you and to others.
Please Lord. Open my ears. Open my eyes. Open my heart.
Creo en Dios! 