May the Lord give you peace, health and happiness. It is 08th September 2024. It is the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, yet the Lord’s Day takes its precedence. May our Beloved Mother Mary intercede for all of us to come closer to Jesus and accept Him without any reservation and conditions.
It is the 23rd Sunday of the Ordinary Time. We reflect on Isaiah 35:4-7; James 2:1-5; and Mark 7:31-37.
Have we accepted Jesus in our heart?
Whether life has made us to be deaf and dumb or a few individuals have contributed to such conditions, or we are born with the lack of faulty of hearing and speaking, the Lord is willing to heal us.
God takes initiatives healing our conditions whatever it might be. God does not show any favouritism, partiality or treating one person better than the other. God treats us all as equals.
We must not judge people unjustly and keep them underrated.
Having married for 40 years between the was no quarrel no strive no friction no relationship problem no screaming a teacher, and they had nothing that could upset Each Other are you raising your eyebrows for such a couple is it possible such a couple can exist yes possible because one is dumb another is dead.
Be mute when you are praised, be deaf exalted. You will surely succeed in your life.
The Lord does all things well. Because He does all things well to us, we are called to do all things well.
The first reading is the introduction. The Gospel is the content. And the second reading is the conclusion for the theme of “Accept and receive Jesus in your heart.”
The first text (Isaiah 35:4-7) is taken from the section called First Isaiah (chapters 1-39). In verse 35 we see the Lord’s justice and mercy combined. The Assyrian king Tigleth-pileser III takes the people of Israel as slaves. Isaiah 35 is the Lord’s response to the Assyrian invasion. This authority can be divided into two categories: (a) The revelation of the Lord, or the Lord’s revelation of Himself (35:1-6). (b) The return of the people (35:7-10). The land becomes fertile again. Water is a symbol of prosperity.
The second text (James 2:1-5) speaks of the prejudice or appreciation of differences that existed in James community.
In last week’s text, the author talked about ‘higher religious life’, this week, he talks about ‘appreciating discrimination in community life’.
In his community the rich were respected, and the poor were neglected. This is the context.
Our life become happy and contented when we share what we have with the other. God who has given the resources also has power to refill it when we have given to the others. Let there be no different standards and yard stick in relating and offering help to the other.
Every human person God has created is rich indeed and wants to contribute towards the welfare of the other always. In the Gospel, Jesus offers healing to the deaf and dumb person and restores his speech and hearing.
The blindness in the person is visible but the deafness is not yet it is so painful personally. Jesus does not want a personal advertisement for healing anyone including this person. Jesus desires that we all be able hear the Word of God and to proclaim it to the others without any alternation. Good News takes the precedence to the miracles of the Lord. We become the person God wants us to be when we can hear the Word God. Let our actions declare the mercy of God.
The Gospel text is found only in the Gospel of Mark. Rather than seeing it as a sign or an act of power, it can be seen as a metaphor or parable.
The one who is brought to Jesus is stuttering – he is neither completely dumb nor able to speak well. The situation of the disciples with Jesus is similar in the Gospel of Mark. They did not fully accept Jesus as the Son of God. While not rejecting him.
May our words and actions not shut the hearts and zip the lips of those who hear it rather to make them love and sharing. Jesus wants to heal the deafness and dumbness in our communities, may we become the instruments of love, mercy and healing?
May God bless every effort we make to heal the humanity. May you have a good day.