Readings: Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalm 146; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37
In the sacrament of baptism the ears and lips of the person to be baptized are touched and the word Ephphatha is spoken. The command is, “Be opened!” Ears, be open to receiving the word of God and in turn, lips, be open, to proclaim the Word. This is imperative for Christians our whole life. We need to hear the encouraging words of the Gospel to spur us on to living and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Our world needs to listen to our testimony by word and deed so that the Kingdom of God can come to light.
Before we can truly hear the words of Jesus, our ears need to be open. Our hearts also must be broken open to a message that for many may otherwise fall on impervious and hardened hearts. “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts. ” (Psalm 95) Are we ready to take the Gospel seriously? If so, will we work for justice? This means justice for all and not just for some. Otherwise, there can be no peace. Who will speak the truth today if we do not speak the truth? And the truth we need to speak is the truth of the Gospel. To not speak, to remain silent is a betrayal to what we believe.
What also needs to be spoken, and spoken with conviction, is our critique of what is wrong in our society. When we see injustice, we cannot remain silent. Some may say we are disloyal citizens when we point out where the strong and powerful have misused their power. Do not equate dissent with disloyalty. True citizens will always challenge those who have abandoned the founding principles of our nation. True believers will always challenge those who have abandoned the founding principles of our faith. In America, these are closely aligned. We were founded on the principle that all men were created equal and that liberty and justice are for all.
Finally of current concern are the priest abuse scandal and the cover-up of that scandal by the Church hierarchy. All the faithful need to speak up and speak out with conviction about this wrong and what must be done to return to the focus of our mission in the world. Namely, we must return to the mission of Jesus Christ to create a world of love and justice. The abuse of authority by those in power must end. To be clear, the dissent is not disloyalty, and challenging corrupt authority is not disrespect of valid authority. To be truly faithful is to be true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ when others have abandoned the Gospel for their own personal gratification.
The battle for the Church and society-at-large may be long, and there will at times be setbacks; however, we must not lose heart. Remember, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” We must have the long view while we stay in the situation at hand and work for a better tomorrow. To do this, we must be open to hearing the truth, to listen with hearts that have been broken by the treachery in the World. We must not let deafness become an obstacle to the call of discipleship.
2000 years ago the Gospel arrived in a time and place that seemed impervious to it. In time the Gospel prevailed. Today it may seem that the dark resistance of the Gospel may prevail, but it will not. The battle is now, and the place is in the region of our hearts. Let us pray now for the grace to be open to the Spirit, to begin anew for the battle at hand!
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of us, your faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and we shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
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