Do we have EARS to listen?

September 5, 2021 “St. Theresa of Calcutta”

Mark 7:31-37

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”—that is, “Be opened!”— And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

"...And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly..."…

What about our ears…our mouths…our listening…our speech! The Word of God is effective, discerning…are we carrying out the Word in our hearts after hearing it; are we sharing it after living it? Jesus opened the man’s ears…but he is attempting at every moment to open ours, to open our mouths, to open our hearts to listen, to live, to share His Holy Word in our lives. He is saying to us, “Ephphatha!”—that is, “Be opened!”