It is 13th February 2015. The Readings are from Gen. 3:1-8 and the Gospel from Mk. 7:31-37. The first reading brings forward the disobedience of the human beings. The human beings budged to the cunningness of the serpent. A bulging desire to become like God in human beings destroys their inner connection with God and exposes their inner nakedness. The serpent played a significant role to convince the human beings to believe its words and ignoring God’s Words. It is a sheer disobedience and their power to decide independently without including God brought about the mortality. “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23). The disobedience made them to feel naked and to hide from God’s presence. Once we are exposed the evil and sin, it is indeed difficult to expose ourselves to God. We begin to feel naked, and something is truly missing deep inside. Who is the serpent in your spiritual life? Who and What makes you to be far from God’s presence and misinterpreting God’s words to you? The Responsorial Psalm praises, “Happy the person whose offence is forgiven.” (Ps. 31:1). The Gospel presents a miracle of Jesus. Jesus heals a man who cannot hear and who had stammering. Jesus invites him to “Be opened.” Jesus had a very special care for him. He took him separately, touched his ears and tongue and healed him. He established a new communication in him with the rest. Spiritual renewal and revival happens where there is openness. Without openness to God and God’s word, we are enslaved and imprisoned to our sins. May we allow God to open our hard of hearing and hard heartedness in listing to Him. May you have a blessed day.