Homily

This Sunday's readings invite us to seek God's help to open our spiritual eyes, deaf ears, and mute speech and participate in Jesus' healing ministry by aiding those sick in body and soul. The first reading foretells the coming of Jesus Christ, who will bring healing and new life, especially to the poor. The Second reading reminds us to practice Christian social justice by treating all people equally as God does. The Gospel story illustrates how Jesus fulfills Isaiah's prophecy by healing a deaf-mute person, emphasizing that only He can bring healing and transformation to humankind.

We must open our hearts to Jesus and allow Him to heal our spiritual deafness and muteness. Christ continues to touch and heal us through the Sacraments provided by the Church, so receiving all the Sacraments is crucial for healing our spiritual illnesses. To be healed through receiving the Sacraments, we must have strong faith and trust in our Savior's words and actions, recognizing that only He can transform our lives. We need Jesus' Intervention when we may become "deaf" to his words due to grief, despair, failure, and ignorance. In those circumstances, we may not listen to Jesus speaking to us through people, prayers or the Bible. We may also become spiritually deaf and mute if we are satisfied with only a superficial understanding of our faith. Therefore, it is essential to deepen our knowledge of our faith through studying the Bible and the teachings of the Church.

This Sunday, let us emulate the man who was unable to speak in the Gospel by seeking out Jesus and spending more time getting to know Him intimately through daily prayer, studying the Holy Scriptures, and the teachings of the Church, such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Our growing relationship with the Lord will open our ears and loosen our tongues.

Additionally, let us strive to bring Jesus' holy word, "Ephphatha," to people blinded by sin, secularism, and materialism. Our society has turned away from God, with indifference toward issues such as purity and chastity, fidelity in marriage, and respect for the unborn. In addition, our young people are exposed to a culture of free sex, bad friendships, substance abuse, and violence, which can make them deaf and blind to Christian ideals.

May the Gospel touch us this Sunday so that we may fully open ourselves to Jesus and extend His message of "Ephphatha" to all who are spiritually unwell and distant from Him. Amen

Peace be with you,

Fr. Americo