First Reading (Isaiah 35:4-7a).
Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Say to those who are depressed: “Take courage, do not be afraid! See, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, God is recompense; he is coming to save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will be loosened. Waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will gush forth in the desert. The parched land will become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.
– The word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Second Reading (James 2:1-5).
Reading from the Letter of Saint James.
My brothers: the faith that you have in our glorified Lord Jesus Christ must not admit of partiality. Well, imagine that a person with a gold ring on his finger and well dressed, and also a poor man with shabby clothes, enters your meeting, and you pay attention to the one who is well dressed, saying to him: “Come and sit here, at your ease”, while you say to the poor man: “Stand there, stand”, or else: “Sit here on the floor, at my feet”. Have you not then discriminated among yourselves? And have you not become judges with unjust criteria? My dear brothers, listen: has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
– The Word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Gospel (Mark 7,31-37).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark.
— Glory to you, O Lord.
At that time, Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. Then they brought a deaf man who had difficulty speaking, and they asked Jesus to place his hand on him. Jesus went away with the man, away from the crowd, and then put his fingers in his ears, spat, and touched his tongue with the saliva. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”) Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak without difficulty. Jesus insisted that they tell no one. But the more he told them, the more they spread the word. They were greatly impressed, saying, “He has done all things well: he makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
— The Word of the Savior.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Imagine yourself in a barren, desolate desert. The sun is blazing, the sand is hot beneath your feet, your dry throat is crying out for water. Suddenly, on the horizon, you see an oasis—a burst of life in the midst of the aridity. Fresh water is gushing forth, colorful flowers are blooming, verdant trees are providing shade. This dramatic transformation of the desert into a garden is the powerful image that Isaiah presents to us in our first reading today.
“Say to those who are of troubled heart, ‘Take courage, do not be afraid! See, your God is coming… Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will be loosed.’”
What an extraordinary promise! Isaiah is speaking of a total transformation—not just of the physical environment, but of the very bodies and souls of the people. It is a vision of complete restoration, of complete healing.
But note well: this transformation is not something we do on our own. It is God who comes. It is God’s presence that brings about the change. Our part is to have courage, not to be afraid, and to be open to divine action in our lives.
This vision of Isaiah finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, as we see in today’s Gospel. Mark tells us about Jesus’ encounter with a deaf and stuttering man. Note the touching details of this scene: Jesus takes the man aside, away from the crowd. This is not a public spectacle, but an intimate, personal encounter.
Jesus puts his fingers in the man’s ears and touches his tongue with saliva. These gestures may seem strange to us today, but they speak of a deep connection, of a God who is not afraid to touch our humanity, our wounds, our limitations.
And then Jesus looks up to heaven, sighs, and says, “Ephphatha!” which means “Be opened!” With this one word, the man’s ears are opened, his tongue is loosened, and he begins to speak properly. Isaiah’s prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes!
But, my dear brothers and sisters, this miracle is not just about the physical healing of a man two thousand years ago. It is a living parable for each of us today. How many of us are “deaf” to the voice of God in our lives? How many of us are “tongue-tied,” unable to speak the truth in love, to proclaim the good news of the Gospel?
Jesus wants to touch us today, just as He touched that man. He wants to open our ears to hear His voice of love amid the noise of the world. He wants to loosen our tongues so that we can speak words of hope, healing, and reconciliation to a world so in need.
But there is another crucial aspect of this healing that we cannot ignore, and this is where our second reading, from the letter of James, comes in. James warns us against favoritism and discrimination within the Christian community. He paints a vivid scene: a man with a gold ring and fine clothes enters the assembly, followed by a poor man in dirty clothes. How does the community react? By giving the place of honor to the rich and relegating the poor to a corner?
James is emphatic: “Do you not show partiality among yourselves and become judges with unfair judgments?” Such an attitude, he says, is incompatible with faith in “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”
What does this have to do with the healing of the deaf-mute? Everything! Because true healing, the true transformation that Jesus brings, is not just physical or even spiritual in the individual sense. It is social. It is communal. It is about restoring relationships, breaking down barriers, creating a community where all are valued equally as beloved children of God.
When we discriminate based on appearance, wealth, social status, or any other human criteria, we are essentially “deaf” to God’s call to love everyone equally. Our tongues are “tied,” unable to speak words of welcome and inclusion to all.
Jesus wants to touch not just our individual ears and tongues, but the “ears” and “tongues” of our community. He wants us to hear the cries of the poor, the marginalized, the excluded. He wants our communal tongues to be freed to speak words of welcome, of affirmation, of dignity to all.
So what does this mean for us, today, here and now?
First, we need to recognize our own deafness and muteness. Where in our lives are we closed to the voice of God? Where is our tongue tied, unable to speak the truth in love?
Second, we need to open ourselves to the touch of Jesus. This requires vulnerability, a willingness to be taken “apart,” away from the noise and distractions, into an intimate encounter with Christ.
Third, we need to hear Jesus’ “Ephphatha” in our lives. “Be opened!” Open yourself to God’s love. Open yourself to the needs of others. Open yourself to the transformation that the Spirit wants to work in you.
Fourth, we need to examine our attitudes and practices as a community. Are we truly welcoming to all, regardless of their social or economic status? Do our words and actions communicate God’s unconditional love for all?
Finally, we need to become agents of healing and transformation in our world. Just as Jesus opened the ears of the deaf and loosened his tongue, we are called to open the ears of our society to the cry of the poor and marginalized, and to loosen our collective tongue to speak out against injustice and discrimination.
My dear brothers and sisters, the God who turns the desert into a garden, who opens the ears of the deaf and loosens the tongues of the mute, wants to work that same transformation in and through us today. He wants to make our community an oasis of love and inclusion in a world that is often barren of compassion.
May we, like that healed man, leave here today with our ears open to hear God’s call, our tongues loosened to proclaim His love, and our hearts ready to welcome everyone as brothers and sisters in Christ.
And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever. Amen.
