Friday, Gebruary 11, 2022

 (optional) Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes

(I kings 11:29-32.12:19; Mark 7:31-37)

Today’s gospel has the descriptive power of Homer’s Iliad. Jesus takes the deaf man with a speech impediment aside.  He puts his fingers in the man’s ears and spits on his tongue.  Then in his native language pronounces, “Ephphatha (be opened)!” The unfortunate man immediately receives both hearing and articulation.

We probably don’t have difficulty hearing or speaking.  Yet most of us need to be opened!  We are closed to a strong faith in the Lord.  We think that science will keep advancing to resolve our problems until we die.  Then the same science will progress to take care of the problems of our descendants.  But the truth is that the same problems keep recurring.  They are like the pesty mouse that cannot be caught.  These are the defects of love and of wisdom that we experience.  Their resolution is found in being opened to the Lord.  Allowing him to enter our lives fully will heal the heart’s wounds.  It will provide the grace and wisdom to live righteously.

Today we remember Our Lady of Lourdes and the many, many miracles worked where she appeared.  We may not be sick with cancer or other life-limiting disease.  But we are likely sick anyway.  We suffer from lack of full faith in the Lord.  We too need Our Lady’s intercession.