Hymns for Mass – Press Here

FIRST READING (The ears of those who are deaf will be cleared; and the tongue of those who are mute will sing.)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (35:4-7a)

Thus says the Lord: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water. — The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (146:7, 8-9, 9-10)

R. Praise the Lord, my soul! (Ps 146:1b)

Or Alleluia.

The God of Jacob keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free. (R)

The Lord gives sight to the blind; the Lord raises up those who were bowed down. The Lord loves the just; the Lord protects strangers. (R)

The fatherless and the widow the Lord sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia. (R)

SECOND READING (Did not God choose the poor to be heirs of the kingdom?)

A reading from the Letter of Saint James (2:1-5)

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Cf. Mt 4:23)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the people. (R)

GOSPEL (He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to 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.” —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

“Ephphatha – Be Opened!”

​ In the Gospel we are presented with a world that is alien to most of us, the world of those who are deaf. There are many disabilities that can isolate people as mentioned in our first reading from Isaiah: to be blind, deaf, a mute, to be lame. The Gospel addresses two of these often coming together, the case of a deaf-mute, one unable to hear as well as to speak. And this particular disability is one often coming to someone born in this condition.

​Can you imagine a silent world? Can you imagine a world where you are blind? Which do you think would be worse, more isolating?

​One of the most beautiful pieces of music of the 20^th century is the classic ballet by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev entitled “Romeo and Juliet” taken from the great Shakespearean tale. Two of the most famous ballet choreographers set this piece of music to dance, Sir Kenneth MacMillan for the London Ballet, and Rudolf Nureyev for Paris Opera, both taking steps from the Kirov Theatre by the master, Lavrovsky. For those who can google quickly my references, the Dance of the Knights presents a great challenge to understand the disabilities of sight and hearing. Watch the ballet first without sound. The movements seem almost comic and disconnected to reality. Then turn on the sound but close your eyes, hearing the deep rhythm of the bass strings and horns that introduce the dance. Dramatic – yes, and stirring. But now turn on BOTH the sound and the video and you see so many new nuances you may have missed or misunderstood. Now choose: sight? Sound? 

​Its is difficult for most of us to understand a silent world, not being able to hear what is going on, not being able to hear someone approach you, unable to discern the sights and sounds around us that are so important for our survival, and not being able to communicate with ease. 

​Notice too in the Gospel how carefully and compassionately Jesus deals with the deaf-mute. Because the man could not hear the words of Jesus, he uses TOUCH – he touches him, placing saliva (for the Israelites, saliva is like the Spirit of Life from within them), and then the Lord groans – so that the man could experience the vibrations of Jesus’ words. And then Jesus uses the word Ephphatha, BE OPENED!” And suddenly the man could hear. It is a touching and glorious moment. 

​The placement of the first reading with today’s Gospel is to remind us how in the Old Testament, the signs of the coming of the Messiah were foretold in such great and inexplicable miracles , when “the eyes of the blind [will] be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; the male will leap like a stag, and the tongue of the mute will sing.” 

​The purpose or meaning of this miracle is deeper than the healing of a disability. Can we who see with our eyes, somehow still be blind? Can we who speak with our lips, still fail to communicate what is important? Can we who hear with our ears, still be deaf in some important ways?

​In a way this leads to the second reading from James – showing a sort of blindness or deafness we may have spiritually in how we treat those around us, looking for esteem or honor, and failing to see the real people who need our help. We are drawn to the beautiful people, the movers and shakers and we tend to too easily dismiss others. James reminds us that we need the gifts of spiritual sight, of hearing and speech to see as Christ sees, to hear as He hears, and to speak as He speaks.

​This is the true IMAGE we should cultivate – not how others try to tell us to look or speak, or act – we are created in God’s image, and this is our true call: to be an image of God to all around us. James calls us to look beneath the surface of a person – to look past the clothes and skin to seek the person within. Every individual, though not as physically attractive as others may be, has a value, a worth in God’s eyes.

​Can we see in them what Jesus sees? That’s the question for us today. We need the gift of sight – of Insight to look beneath the surface to see in each individual a fellow-creature with fears and hopes, a human in need of redemption, a person perhaps ignored or shunned by others but deeply loved by Christ.

​We need he gift of hearing not just to hear but to LISTEN. Beneath so many people’s complaints or insults or bravado is a person wanting to be heard or valued.

​We need the gift of speech. There is too much talk and useless chatter that fill our ears and heads. But do we have the ability to speak the truth above this cacophony of useless chatter? Can we speak about the sanctity of human life both in the unborn and for people of all ages? Can we speak of justice and respect for all peoples? Are our words words of strength and compassion? Words of healing and consolation? Do we have the ability to calm rather than insight, to love and uplift?

​When we baptize a child, the priest repeats the words and gesture of Jesus in the Gospel today saying over the ears and lips of the infant, “Ephphatha – Be Opened!” Have our ears truly been opened to Christ? Do our lips speak of the glory of the Lord?

​Think back to the image I used a few minutes ago, of Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights. Which is more difficult? To see the dance without hearing the music? Or to hear the music without visualizing the choreography? Let us pray that Christ continually give us sight, sound, and speech to glorify him, and to uplift others.

Prokofiev: 

​https://youtu.be/SyDo3h1Tu7c

Prayers

Celebrant:  In our Gospel we were told that Jesus has done all things well! How confident and joyful are our prayers for others, when we hear these consoling words, in praise of the one who “makes the deaf hear and the dumb to speak.”

READER: That the Church may be truly “Catholic,” without distinctions between ethnicities or classes of people welcoming all in faith and love to our community, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That people everywhere may be able to hear the word of God and respond to it in freedom,(Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That those who care for people with disabilities or chronic illnesses may be encouraged by the sensitivity and kindness of Christ who they imitate, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For all the sick members of our parish community, especially those facing life-threatening illnesses, that they be encouraged by our constant prayers and support for them and their families, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: [SMC only: For the repose of the soul of Ms Teresa Wai Hing CHAN, for whom today’s Mass is offered, and] For the prayers we carry in our hearts today, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: Lord of healing love, you have opened our hearts to the Gospel; you have opened our lips to proclaim it. Receive the prayers of believers, baptized in the saving grace of your Son, Our Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever, (all) AMEN.