Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

"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!” Mk 7:33-34

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

What we hear in today's Gospel is part of the Baptismal rite. If you are Christian, as a child or an adult this was said on you. The idea is that before baptism we are deaf and mute. Obviously this is in spiritual terms. But what does that mean? Even though you can listen to the words that are said, you can't receive them until the Spirit opens your ears to be able to understand and receive them. There are so many examples of words like these: Jesus is God. Jesus resurrected. You are infinitely valuable. You do not need to prove anything. God loves you. You are not alone… The list can go on forever. These words are incredibly powerful! But sometimes we resist them or do not believe them. For some of us they might even move us to tears, for others they may even seem like a bad joke.

What is the big difference between these two persons? One has received the Holy Spirit, that is has been born from above and has developed the gift (Jn 3), and the other maybe not yet. In baptism (specially when received as a child) this gift was poured on us. All of it is there. Maybe you'll object, saying “I was baptized but I still don't get it!” That is natural, because we receive the gift in seed form. It needs to be developed through our free will, and is cultivated by receiving and understanding the examples mentioned above.

So, how do I develop it? Well, first of all remember it is a gift given by God. It is Jesus who is groaning and praying and saying: “Ephphatha!” “Be opened! Therefore it is not something that you achieve by yourself. It must be requested. And then respond to that grace by means of prayer, study, asking wise persons and serving. The journey is very different for each one of us. Think about it… how did you come to believe that Jesus is God or that you are valuable? In this community we have abundant opportunities to develop the gift. DO NOT postpone it! The grace is there waiting for you to say yes.

I hope you have a blessed Sunday, and that little by little you begin to hear God and understand him

Fr. Carlos