23RD SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH
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(Mark 7:31-37)
The mission of Christ on earth
has been to open. Right from the Old Testament, God started opening man to
better life. At creation, God used the light to open a world closed by darkness
and void. With the breath of life, He opened the nostrils of man closed by
lifelessness. With His word, love, and instructions, He wished to open the eyes
of Adam and Eve. The Serpent observed this project of opening and used it to
approach Eve with the claims of opening of the eyes. Unfortunately, the devil
closed their eyes and hearts, which made the gates of the Eden garden to be
closed with Adam and Eve outside. The angel that was open to them, at their
service, turned to guard the Eden gates from them.
At the appointed time, God opened
the womb of the woman after the heart of Eve was closed by the evil one. God gave
the Son of God to humanity and creation. Jesus started going about observing
the disaster the enemy caused, especially on man and confronting them. Man
presented to Him the extent of mess the human person has been put into.
THE MESS BEFORE THE MESSENGER
The man brought to Jesus, a
representative of the situation of the generality of the human population, had
an impediment. He can neither speak nor hear.
What a calamitous situation! This
is a serious problem in the spiritual realm.
This is a hopeless situation the
enemy wanted us to remain in. This is the state of the unbaptized helpless
child that is brought forth to be given the mark of Christ. He can't help
himself, yet Christ feels for him. The original and the actual sins keep him
dumb. Guilt makes him not to speak up anymore. He doesn't feel free to call God
his Abba Father. He feels there is no access to God anymore. He dies in
silence. He hides like Adam. His ears are covered from hearing the word of God.
He is made to believe that God can never speak love to Him again.
Jesus takes the man. He puts His
fingers in his ears, He spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven,
He sighed, and declared: "Ephphatha". What a powerful word! Here is
the word the world needed to hear. Here is the message of the great messenger
from heaven, Jesus Christ. Looking up to heaven, He called down the mercy of
God. He connected the heavens to behold what man, so adorned, had been turned
into. How man has been rendered useless by wickedness, greed, avarice and all
evils, how man has closed his ears to what God has to say and the place it has
dumped him, how man has become speechless in the face of evil, how he has
compromised the heavenly standards, how he has been silenced by the forbidden
trees of this life. Jesus sighed. He was grieved. The pain was very deep.
At His command, therefore, the
man's ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
Alleluia!
OPEN UP
The Lord's command today: Be
opened! Is a state He wants us to remain in. It could mean- Be free, bloom,
blossom, manifest, shine, showcase, stop hiding, receive, celebrate, etc.
Africa, be open to growth,
development, and real civilization. Nigeria, be open to unity, peace, and
progress. Be open to dialogue and have listening ears to the problems of the
people. Presidents and governors are open and transparent. Stop deceiving the
people. Stop paying deaf ears to their plights.
The Church, be open and tell the
truth in season and out of season. Don't keep quiet while the world sinks into
immorality, depravity, and corruption. Let in the fresh air of the Spirit of
God. Let there be true Aggiornamento! Let us all stop suffocating holiness and
righteousness. Let our moral ears and tongues not be closed by money, offers,
and goodies.
Individuals at all levels should
open up themselves to receive the touch of God, that touch that brings life and
inspiration. When we open up to God, the
satanic powers will leave us alone. When we open our hearts for God, He will
bring us happiness and joy. When we are open to His holy will, the miracles we
expect will come to manifestation in our lives and in our families.
May God bless His word in our
hearts.
LET US PRAY
Dear Lord, we thank You for Your
word today calling us to open ourselves to You. Like the men who brought the
deaf and dumb man to You today, we bring our sick world, our troubled families,
and our individual problems to You. Take our worries, sighs, and sickness by
Your holy hands. Give us reasons to thank You with the words of the astonished
people who witnessed Your wonders: "He has done all things well." Do
all things well in our lives. Do well all that the enemy has destroyed in us
through Christ our Lord. Amen
Happy Sunday (23rd Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr B)
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
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