“Then he looked up to heaven and groaned and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)” Luke 7:34

Professor Mary Healy begins our reflection by speaking about healing. “Like all healings in the Gospels, the physical cure of the deaf and mute man is real but also has a deeper spiritual significance. God designed human beings not only with the physical senses but also with marvelous spiritual capacities to see, hear, and relate to him. These interior faculties were disabled by original sin, causing a severe communication block between God and humanity. Jesus’ healings of people who are deaf, blind, and lame is a sign of his restoration of humanity to the fullness of life and of communion with our Creator.” Bishop Robert Barron notes that “this deaf man stands for all of us who do not hear the word of God, who have grown oblivious to it. And what is the result of this deafness? A speech impediment. At the spiritual level, if you don’t hear the Word of God clearly, then your capacity to speak it is also severely compromised.” Now, by the grace of Christ, we are able to hear God’s voice in our hearts, sing his praises, and proclaim his mighty deeds. ‘The glory of God is man fully alive’ (St. Irenaeus).

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