Catechism Links [1]
CCC 1503-1505: Christ the Physician
CCC 1151-1152: Signs used by Christ; sacramental signs
CCC 270-271: The mercy of God
“Jesus Heals the Deaf Man” by Alexandre Bida, 1850’s |
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.
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Commentary on Is 35:4-7a
This joyous outburst from the prophet looks forward to the restoration of those exiled (similar in tone to Isaiah 40:1-11). The oracle sees the time of salvation marked by events traditionally associated with the predicted arrival of the Messiah. The passage is quoted or paraphrased in both St. Matthew’s Gospel at Matthew 11:5ff and in St. Mark’s Gospel at Mark 7:37, in both cases seeing in the oracle proof of messianic fulfillment in Jesus.
“This passage points to a great mystery, namely that Christ was to come in the flesh. Not just anybody, not an angel, not an ambassador, but “He” will come to save you. Who is showing this humility? One who is highly exalted. How exalted? Make no search on earth but rise above the stars, beyond the heavenly company of angels, even beyond all creation, and by faith arrive at the Creator (St. Augustine, Sermons 293, 5).” [5]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
Alleluia.
The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
R. Alleluia.
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. Praise the Lord, my soul!
R. Alleluia.
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. Praise the Lord, my soul!
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
In this hymn of praise, we find the historical view of God’s attributes as envisioned by the Hebrew people. The psalmist catalogs the mercy of God’s salvation (gives sight to the blind, raises those who were bowed down [the oppressed]) using imagery borrowed by the prophets (cf. Isaiah 35:5-6) and imagery used much later by Gospel authors as well (cf. Matthew 11:5ff).
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Reading II: 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?
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Commentary on Jas 2:1-5
"Apparently some of the Christians to whom this letter was addressed were guilty of discriminating against people on the grounds of social standing -- a clear instance of inconsistency between faith and actions, a key theme which James has already touched on (cf. James 1:19-27) and will develop later (cf. James 2:14-26). He may well be taking an example from something that actually happened (verses 1-4) to make the very vigorous point that discrimination is opposed to the Gospel (verses 5-7) as indeed to the Law (verses 8-11); and he makes it plain that this type of behavior will be severely punished by God when He comes to judge (verses 12-13)." [6]
In these verses the author warns the Christian community not to discriminate or to show favoritism based upon social status. This kind of behavior, we are told, violates God’s law and is an affront to all the values for which Lord Jesus stands. The apostle also reminds the community that the poor and marginalized receive great rewards in God’s Kingdom.
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Gospel: 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.”
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Commentary on Mk 7:31-37
Returning from his encounter with the Syrophoenician woman, the Lord now heals the deaf mute. This action, especially the wording of the final quote: “He has done all things well, he makes the deaf hear and the mute speak,” which is a paraphrase from Isaiah 35:5-6, demonstrates the fulfillment of prophecy.
The Lord’s actions are sacramental in nature, that is, they accomplish what they signify. As the Lord takes the man aside, he puts his fingers into the man’s mouth and ears. He then sighs or groans ("he sighed: A sign either of his deep emotion over the man's pitiful condition, or, as Lohmeyer believes, of Jesus' transcendence, which is contained by human limits foreign to it." [7]), looking heavenward, demonstrating his intimate relationship to the father, and says, “ephphatha!,” or “be opened."
This passage has two unusual characteristics. First, the Lord takes the man aside, in private, implying something private was offered by the Messiah. Next, after his cure was affected, he tells the man not to tell anyone. However, not only does the man continue to do so, but proclaims it. We are given the sense that the event taking place is significant in that it is pointedly revelatory, citing a new creation (cf Genesis 1:31).
CCC: Mk 7:32-36 1504; Mk 7:33-35 1151
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Reflection:
Pax
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “Jesus Heals the Deaf Man” by Alexandre Bida, 1850’s.
[3] S.S Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Isaiah, © 2019, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 65.
[6] The Navarre Bible: “Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 286.
[7] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 42:45, p. 38.
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