from healing to baptism to healing
"Their amazement went beyond all bounds: 'He has done everything well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!' " —Mark 7:37
Jesus healed people physically as a sign of healing people spiritually. He opened the ears of the deaf and freed the tongues of the mute as a sign that He would open our ears so that we can have a greater faith and open our mouths to proclaim that faith (see Mk 7:35).
Our spiritual deafness, dumbness, blindness, and paralysis are potentially damning. We live in potentially devastating spiritual conditions. However, Jesus is our Hope, our only Hope, and His continuing ministry of healing expresses that hope and points to its fulfillment in the sacrament of Baptism.
Healing accompanies the proclamation of the Gospel, leading to faith and Baptism (see Mk 16:16-18). Then Baptism leads us to receiving and giving Jesus' ministry of healing, which further leads us to participate in Jesus' ministry of hope leading others to faith, salvation, and Baptism.
At Baptism, we pray Jesus' prayer "Ephphatha" (see Mk 7:34). This is the ultimate opening. The baptized have spiritually opened ears, mouths, eyes, and hearts. May healing lead to and from Baptism.
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to guide me more deeply into the mystery of Baptism.
Promise: Jesus "put His fingers into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then He looked up to heaven and emitted a groan. He said to him, 'Ephphatha!' (that is, 'Be opened!')" —Mk 7:33-34
Praise: Sts. Cyril & Methodius were brothers and great missionaries to the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe. St. Cyril devotedly translated the Bible and liturgical texts into Slavonic.
Reference: (Lent is coming. Consider ordering, viewing or downloading our leaflet A Prophetic Lent, a biblical reading guide for Lent, on our website.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 8, 2019
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