Reflection for Friday February 10, Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin: Mark 7:31-37

Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

Again 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.”

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Reflection:

Have you already witnessed a healing session? 

Some of us may have already seen healing sessions on TV wherein an individual on wheelchair is suddenly able to walk. The blind able to see and those who cannot speak are able to speak again. I don’t know if these healings are true because according to an exposé some of these healings are fake. The individuals who are sick are not actually sick; they just pretend to be sick and they are actually members of the sect that conducts the healing sessions. 

In the gospel we are presented with an authentic healing presided by Jesus. A deaf man who had a speech impediment is brought to Jesus for healing. To make a long story short Jesus healed the deaf man: he was able to hear and talk again. 

I’d like to zero in on the personal healing actions of Jesus. They walked away from the madding crowd and once they were both by themselves Jesus conducted the personal healing. 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. 

This healing action of Jesus is very much opposite to what we see nowadays. Healers now want it to be publicized they want to be noticed they want to maximize their media exposure so to speak! I can only speculate of their true motives. 

Is it still possible for us to have this personal and one on one healing with Jesus now? Yes, a pious presence at Holy Mass or quite visit to our church’s Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel would do it for us. Jesus is there personally waiting for us to heal us of our sickness our personal hurts and pains. 

If only we would discover the healing and calming presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, if only we will learn to allocate a portion of our time to give Him a visit there. We would also have an Ephphatha experience. 

Our hearts and minds would also be opened to this personal and wondrous healing experience with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and with Jesus at Holy Mass. – Marino J. Dasmarinas