What love, respect, consideration, and faith on the part of those who brought to Jesus the deaf man with the speech impediment? They believed He could heal this person.

Nowadays, we are referring to people being challenged to think and act positively within the limitations of their own situation. Within my own circle of family and friends, in my visiting schools, hospitals and special homes, I have been deeply moved by the loving respect, the supportive, encouraging acceptance that has been shown to those who are in any way challenged – allowing them their own space to be themselves, ‘do’ for themselves and accomplish it themselves.

We all know that this is not always the case. I don’t want to dwell on this now, nor do I wish to rush into reading something spiritual or symbolic into Jesus healing the deaf man with the impediment in his speech. Rather, I welcome the opportunity to record my admiration for teenagers who talk about their future careers and tell me they wish to become professionally involved in teaching physically, emotionally, spiritually challenged children and adults or in caring for the elderly. Here is a call, a vocation, to a lifetime of expressing love in a very practical way. Such care-givers are most surely signs of the Kingdom of God being present here and now before our very eyes. They are sacraments of the compassionate, healing ministry of Jesus vividly present in our midst.

The Gospel of today tells us that Jesus “put His fingers into the man’s ears and touched His tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven He sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened,’” and that, “And his ears were opened, and at once the impediment of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly.” Those who witnessed this were filled with admiration. He has done all the things well, as they saw this to be not only an act of power but also a form of love.

From the early days of Christianity, the Church has seen this healing by Jesus as a sign of the spiritual healing, character shaping, which takes place shortly after a person is baptized. In the Rite of Baptism, it is told that,

‘The celebrant touches the ears and mouth of the child with his thumb, saying, “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.”

In this age of highly sophisticated communication technology, it is possible for small children. I believe that this simple rite of blessing of the ears and mouth is of huge importance and significance.

The ears represent our ability to receive sounds and images that can influence the way we think, feel and act. Our words represent the ability to convey messages that have an impact on the lives of others. Our intake and output of ‘media matter’ will often be for better or worse- morally, spiritually, as well. We must ask ourselves what we are doing to ourselves through what we are listening and reading; what we are doing to others through our words and body language. In both cases, it could be beneficial, or it could be a lot of damage.

The choice is ours. It is a moral and spiritual choice. We may be inclined, enticed or tempted to consume material that is spiritually unfit for human consumption. At baptism the ears are blessed that we may choose to receive the ‘godly word’ and reject the ungodly one. Our mouths are blessed that we may communicate with others inspiring words that are truthful, charitable, and moving and resist the temptation to lie, mislead, and talk nastily about others.

God knows, even if we don’t, how much we all need healing and restraining in the wonderful, terrible world of inter-personal and mass-communication! What a challenge we must face and encourage others to do so!