Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 333
Lectionary: 333
Jeroboam left Jerusalem,
and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.
The two were alone in the area,
and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.
Ahijah took off his new cloak,
tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:
“Take ten pieces for yourself;
the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s grasp
and will give you ten of the tribes.
One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,
and of Jerusalem,
the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’”
Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.
and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.
The two were alone in the area,
and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.
Ahijah took off his new cloak,
tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:
“Take ten pieces for yourself;
the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s grasp
and will give you ten of the tribes.
One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,
and of Jerusalem,
the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’”
Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 81:10-11AB, 12-13,
14-15
R. (11a and 9a) I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels."
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand."
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels."
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand."
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
Alleluia SEE ACTS 16:14B
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 7:31-37
Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
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!")
And immediately the man's ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
"He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
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!")
And immediately the man's ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
"He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Meditation: "He has done all things
well"
How do you expect the Lord Jesus to treat you when you
ask for his help? Do you approach with fear and doubt, or with
faith and confidence? Jesus never turned anyone aside who approached
him with sincerity and trust. And whatever Jesus did, he did well.
He demonstrated both the beauty and goodness of God in his actions.
The Lord's touch awakens faith and brings healing
When Jesus approaches a man who is both deaf and a stutterer, Jesus shows his considerateness for this man's predicament. Jesus takes him aside privately, not doubt to remove him from embarrassment with a noisy crowd of gawkers (onlookers). Jesus then puts his fingers into the deaf man's ears and he touches the man's tongue with his own spittle to physically identify with this man's infirmity and to awaken faith in him. With a word of command the poor man's ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
When Jesus approaches a man who is both deaf and a stutterer, Jesus shows his considerateness for this man's predicament. Jesus takes him aside privately, not doubt to remove him from embarrassment with a noisy crowd of gawkers (onlookers). Jesus then puts his fingers into the deaf man's ears and he touches the man's tongue with his own spittle to physically identify with this man's infirmity and to awaken faith in him. With a word of command the poor man's ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
What is the significance of Jesus putting his fingers
into the man's ears? Gregory the Great, a church father from the 6th century,
comments on this miracle: "The Spirit is called the finger of God. When
the Lord puts his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the
soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit."
The transforming power of kindness and
compassion
The people's response to this miracle testifies to Jesus' great care for others: He has done all things well. No problem or burden was too much for Jesus' careful consideration. The Lord treats each of us with kindness and compassion and he calls us to treat one another in like manner. The Holy Spirit who dwells within us enables us to love as Jesus loves. Do you show kindness and compassion to your neighbors and do you treat them with considerateness as Jesus did?
The people's response to this miracle testifies to Jesus' great care for others: He has done all things well. No problem or burden was too much for Jesus' careful consideration. The Lord treats each of us with kindness and compassion and he calls us to treat one another in like manner. The Holy Spirit who dwells within us enables us to love as Jesus loves. Do you show kindness and compassion to your neighbors and do you treat them with considerateness as Jesus did?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and
inflame my heart with love and compassion. Make me attentive to the needs of
others that I may show them kindness and care. Make me an instrument of your
mercy and peace that I may help others find healing and wholeness in you."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The touch of the Lord, by Ephrem the
Syrian (306-373 AD)
"That power which may not be handled came down
and clothed itself in members that may be touched, that the desperate may draw
near to him, that in touching his humanity they may discern his divinity. For
that speechless man the Lord healed with the fingers of his body. He put his
fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue. At that moment with fingers
that may be touched, he touched the Godhead that may not be touched.
Immediately this loosed the string of his tongue (Mark 7:32-37), and opened the
clogged doors of his ears. For the very architect of the body itself and
artificer of all flesh had come personally to him, and with his gentle voice
tenderly opened up his obstructed ears. Then his mouth which had been so closed
up that it could not give birth to a word, gave birth to praise him who made
its barrenness fruitful. The One who immediately had given to Adam speech
without teaching, gave speech to him so that he could speak easily a language
that is learned only with difficulty (Genesis 1:27-28). (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 10.3)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, MARK 7:31-37
Weekday
(1 Kings 11:29-32, 12:19; Psalm 81)
Weekday
(1 Kings 11:29-32, 12:19; Psalm 81)
KEY VERSE: "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened" (v 34b).
TO KNOW: After leaving Phoenicia, Jesus went to the Gentile area of the Decapolis, a league of ten cities in eastern Palestine. There a deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him for healing. The physical signs that Jesus used to heal the man, touch and spittle, were commonly used by faith healers in Jesus' day. They were thought to be effective in and of themselves. With Jesus, the efficacy of his healing power flowed directly from his relationship with his Father. The deaf mute was healed so that he could hear and proclaim the message of redemption. Jesus imposed silence upon the crowd so that his power would not be misinterpreted as mere "wonder-working," but the awestruck people could not restrain their praises of him. The miracle performed for the Gentile deaf mute was another sign that Jesus came to bring salvation to all peoples.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be open to your healing power in the Sacraments of the Church.
TO SERVE: In what ways am I deaf and mute to God's message?
NOTE: The Ephphatha prayer is used in the rite of Baptism for the opening of the ears to receive God's word, and of the mouth, to proclaim the faith.
Friday 9
February 2018
St Teilo.
1 Kings 11:29-32, 12:19. Psalm 80(81):10-15. Mark 7:31-37.
I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice—Psalm 80(81):10-15.
Jesus ordered them to tell no one, but the more he ordered them
the more zealously they proclaimed it.
Do we wonder why Jesus tried to keep his miracles secret? Do we
wonder if this action could cause more fervor than if he had not said anything
at all? Jesus has just made a man hear and speak. This is amazing. It is a
miracle.
Has Jesus enabled us to listen, instead of just hearing? Has
Jesus made us speak in ways that we would not have spoken before? Or do we ask
Jesus to make us hear and speak?
What people say they will do can be very different from their
actions. Moreover, what they hear can be very different from what is
interpreted. Let us pray for the blessings of clear loving words to share with
all people.
Saint Jerome Emiliani
Saint of the Day for February 9
(1486 – February 8, 1537)
Saint Jerome Emiliani’s Story
A careless and irreligious soldier for the city-state of Venice,
Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an outpost town and chained in a dungeon.
In prison Jerome had a lot of time to think, and he gradually learned how to
pray. When he escaped, he returned to Venice where he took charge of the
education of his nephews—and began his own studies for the priesthood.
In the years after his ordination, events again called Jerome to
a decision and a new lifestyle. Plague and famine swept northern Italy. Jerome
began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While
serving the sick and the poor, he soon resolved to devote himself and his
property solely to others, particularly to abandoned children. He founded three
orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes and a hospital.
Around 1532, Jerome and two other priests established a
congregation, the Clerks Regular of Somasca, dedicated to the care of orphans
and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while
tending the sick. He was canonized in 1767. In 1928, Pius Xl named him the
patron of orphans and abandoned children.
Reflection
Very often in our lives it seems to take some kind of
“imprisonment” to free us from the shackles of our self-centeredness. When
we’re “caught” in some situation we don’t want to be in, we finally come to
know the liberating power of Another. Only then can we become another for “the
imprisoned” and “the orphaned” all around us.
The Liturgical Feast of Saint Jerome Emiliani is February 8.
Saint Jerome Emiliani is the Patron Saint of:
Orphans
Abandoned Children
Abandoned Children
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK 7,31-37
Lectio Divina:
Friday, February 9, 2018
1) OPENING PRAYER
Father,
watch
over Your family
and
keep us safe in Your care,
for
all our hope is in You.
We
ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One
God, forever and ever. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - MARK
7:31-37
Jesus
left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into
the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a
speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by
himself away from the crowd. 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!") And
immediately the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and
he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them
not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they
said, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute
speak."
3) REFLECTION
In
today’s Gospel, Jesus cures a deaf-mute. This episode is not known very much.
In the episode of the Canaanite woman, Jesus goes beyond the frontiers of the
national territory and accepts a foreign woman who does not belong to the
people and with whom it was forbidden to speak. In today’s Gospel we notice
this same opening.
Mark
7: 31. The region of the Decapolis. At that time, returning from the territory
of Tyre, Jesus went to Sidon toward the Lake of Galilee, right through the
Decapolis territory. Decapolis literally means “ten cities.” This was a region
of ten cities in the southeast part of Galilee, and its population was gentile.
Mark
7: 31-35. To open the ears and to loosen the tongue. A deaf-mute man was
brought before Jesus. People wanted Jesus to place His hands on him. But Jesus
goes far beyond this request. He leads the man aside from the crowd, puts His
finger into the man’s ears and touches his tongue with spittle. Looking up to
Heaven, He sighed deeply and said, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” At that
same moment, his ears were opened, and at once the impediment of his tongue was
loosened and he spoke clearly. Jesus wants the people to open their ears and to
loosen their tongues!
Mark
7:36-37: Jesus wants no publicity. And He ordered them not to tell anyone about
it, but the more He insisted, the more widely they proclaimed it. Their
admiration was unbounded and they said, “Everything He does is good; He
makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.” He prohibits that the cure be
proclaimed, but in fact that does not happen. Those who have experienced what
Jesus has done go and tell others, whether Jesus wants it or not! The people
who were present at the cure began to proclaim what they had seen and summarize
the Good News as follows: Everything He does is good; He makes the deaf hear
and the dumb speak! This affirmation of the people makes us remember creation,
when it was said, “God saw that everything was good!” (Gen 1: 31). And
this also recalls the prophecy of Isaiah, where he says that in the future the
deaf will hear and the dumb will speak (Is 29: 28; 35: 5, cf. Mt 11: 5).
The
recommendation not to tell anybody. Sometimes, the attention which Mark’s
Gospel attributes to the prohibition of Jesus to proclaim the cure is
exaggerated, as if Jesus had some secret that He wanted to keep. In the
majority of cases in which Jesus works a miracle, He does not ask for silence.
Rather, He once even asked for publicity (Mk 5: 19). Sometimes, He orders not
to announce the healing (Mk 1: 44; 5: 43; 7: 36; 8: 26), but obtains the
opposite result. The more He prohibits it, the more the Good News is proclaimed
(Mk 1: 28,45; 3: 7-8; 7: 36-37). It is useless to prohibit! The interior force
of the Good News is so great that it spreads by itself.
Growing
openness in the Gospel of Mark. Throughout the pages of Mark’s Gospel, there is
a growing openness toward the other populations. Thus Mark leads the readers to
open themselves toward the reality of the world around and to overcome the
preconceptions which prevent peaceful co-existence among the different
populations. When He passed through the Decapolis, a gentile region, Jesus
responded to the request of the people of the place and cured a deaf-mute man.
He is not afraid to be contaminated with the impurity of a gentile, because in
curing him, He touches his ears and his tongue. Two Jews and the disciples
themselves have difficulty hearing and understanding that a gentile
who was deaf and dumb can now hear and speak thanks to Jesus who touched him.
It recalls the Song of the Servant, “The Lord God has opened the ears, and I
listen to Him” (Is 50: 4-5). In driving the merchants out of the Temple, Jesus
criticizes the unjust trade and affirms that the Temple should be a house of
prayer for all peoples (Mk 11:17). In the parable of the wicked tenants, Mark
refers to the fact that the message will be taken away from the chosen people,
the Jews, and will be given to others, the gentiles (Mk 12:1-12). After the
death of Jesus, Mark presents the profession of faith of a gentile at the foot
of the Cross. In quoting the Roman centurion and how he recognizes the Son of
God in Jesus, Mark is saying that the gentile is more faithful than the
disciples and more faithful than the Jews (Mk 15:39). The openness to the
gentiles appears very clearly in the final order given by Jesus to the
disciples, after His Resurrection: “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the
Gospel to all creation” (Mk 16:15).
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
Jesus
shows a great openness toward people of another race, another religion and of
other customs. We Christians, today, do we have the same openness? Do I have
this openness?
Definition
of the Good News: Everything Jesus does is good! Am I good News for others?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Sing
a new song to Yahweh!
Sing
to Yahweh, all the earth!
Sing
to Yahweh, bless His name! (Ps 96:1-2)
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