Sunday September 5, 2021 - Twenty-third week iof Ordinary Time - Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom and healed all sickness in the people - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to SaintMark 7, 31-37

Jesus, having traveled to different regions, crossed the borders of Israel. When he arrived in Decapolis, the land of the Gentiles, of those who did not yet believe in God, he met a man there, a deaf-mute. Being silent, this man cannot express himself and even less, talk to Jesus. But also hard of hearing, he cannot hear what is said. It is therefore impossible for him to communicate. His handicap did not allow him to hear the Good News and thus to know Jesus.

Usually, in the Gospel, it is those who need help who come to meet Jesus, but in the case of this deaf-mute man, it was his relatives who introduced him to him. Indeed, it was difficult, if not impossible, to converse with Jesus. How can a patient in a comatose or vegetative state go to his doctor? Here we experience mutual support within the family. This is still relevant in homes, especially when it comes to the health, life or safety of our offspring. This man, helpless, incapable of everything and totally dependent on his relatives, is like a child vis-à-vis his parents.

This situation reminds us of our baptism. Just as the deaf-mute man was brought before Jesus by his relatives, we, too, were received at baptism, by the faith of our parents. Our ancestors, our elders in the faith did not deceive us, by leading us to meet Jesus. Also, let us be grateful for this faith, and faithful to this faith by witnessing it in everything that we undertake on a daily basis, because only in this way we could free ourselves from the fetters of the demon: silence and deafness.

Hearing is necessary for us to hear the word of God and the voice to give thanks and proclaim his majesty. May all our senses be instruments of the glory of God.