TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY "B"

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Cycle “B”  Jas 2, 1-5; Mark 7. 31-37

The Healing of the Deaf Mute

Let me relate the sad case of a Greek man who got locked up in a mental institution. He was considered to be an incurable case of schizophrenia, a mental disorder, and was locked in for years. No one knew much about him, where he had come from, but all agreed he was a hopeless case. , though the hospital chaplain visited him regularly. One day the chaplain got a bright idea. He went across to the Greek Orthodox Church and asked the Greek Orthodox priest to come over the give the Greek mental patient a chance to converse in his native tongue. The poor fellow hadn’t had a chance to do this for years. The Greek Orthodox priest did visit and speak to the patient and then to the English chaplain: “What on earth is this fellow doing in this lunatic asylum anyway ?” He’s as healthy as you and I.” Bit by bit the tragic story unfolded. The Greek man had jumped ship long ago in a nearby port. Speaking no English, he had got into some sort of trouble, and as mistakes sometimes happen, he was locked up in a mental institution. There he slowly learned some English; but he learned his English from schizophrenic patients. Certain language misuse is characteristic of that mental problem, and the Greek fellow managed to learn totally schizophrenic English. To all the English doctors and nurses he sounded mental and as removed from reality as his fellow patients. The Greek Orthodox priest, however, conversed with him in normal Greek, the first time anyone had done in that hospital, and the man spoke perfectly correct Greek. The hospital staff was humbled and learned a lesson from that experience.

Spending time to understand others can go a long way towards healing them. St. James, in today’s second reading focuses on the respect that God has for all men and women. This is in point contrast with the disrespect that humans have for other humans. A Christian is like God if he treats all men as God treats all people.  The Gospel of today shows us God in action in Jesus Christ. How considerately Christ takes the deaf-mute aside and works the wonder on him in the way he actually did: using the sense of touch.  The poor man could make incomprehensible sounds. He must have suffered greatly throughout his life from people mimicking and ridiculing him as well as turning their backs on him. By healing him, Jesus gave him back not only his power of speaking and hearing but very especially restored his dignity before the people.

The crowd responded with unbounded admiration for Jesus: “he has done all things well” (Mk 7,37), and published widely what Jesus had done, despite his insistence that they should keep it quiet. They recognized the healing as a miracle of creation  -  something that only God could do  -  and as a miracle of salvation. They recognized him as the Messiah, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, “Behold, your God will come...and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped..the and tongue of the dumb sing for joy” (Is 35, 4-6). And the people praised Jesus, because his healings and miracles were the signs that God’s kingdom was inaugurated.

Incidentally, I’d like to bring to your notice that this particular miracle was performed by Jesus in non-Jewish, pagan territory, the area of the Ten Cities or Decapolis. The Ten Cites had been founded by veteran Greek soldiers after the death of their legendary leader, Alexander the Great. Greek again for you. The Teacher was well known among these people for a miracle known to us and possibly many others known only to them. It only goes to show that Jesus was the first and much appreciated missionary.

Another seemingly embarrassing detail: Jesus touched the man’s tongue with his spittle. Spittle is considered solidified breath, and the breath of Jesus is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us power to sing and preach the praises of God. If I meet Jesus I’ll ask him to kiss me deeply.

In order to understand heavenly mysteries, i.e. the mysteries of our faith, we need to have our spiritual ears and eyes opened by the Holy Spirit to see and understand. The wonderful word here to the deaf man was the Aramaic, “Ephphata”, or “Be opened.” We should make it part of our own vocabulary whenever we run into situations where people are uptight. We can say it to those who are closed to creativity and change, to all who have lost their sense of humour and turned sour and cynical, to our co-workers to stay open to challenges and surprises.  What a wonder it is: “EPHPHATHA !”

PRAYER:   (W. Mary Calvert)

All I speak, be blessed to me, O God,

All I hear, be blessed to me, O God,

All I see, be blessed to me, O God,

All I taste, be blessed to me, O God,

Each step I take, be blessed to me, O God,

And may I serve you all my life,

For the love of the Father who created me,

The Son who redeemed me,

And the Holy Spirit who strengthens,

And guides me.