Jesus touched his person, and order “be opened!

an order not merely directed to his senses, but to his very being.

Jesus does not give up on us, to open us, up to God’s grace and healing.

 

St. Cyril, monk,

St. Methodius, bishop

   ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Genesis 3:1-8

Now the serpent

Was the most crafty of all the wild creatures that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, "Did God really say: You must not eat from any tree in the garden?"

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden,

but of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden God said: You must not eat,

and you must not touch it or you will die." The serpent said to the woman,

"You will not die, but God knows that the day you eat it,

your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil."

 

The woman saw that the fruit was good to eat, and pleasant to the eyes,

and ideal for gaining knowledge. She took its fruit and ate it and gave some to her husband who was with her.

He ate it. Then their eyes were opened and both of them knew they were naked.

So they sewed leaves of a fig tree together and made themselves loincloths.

They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden, in the cool of the day,

and they, the man and his wife, hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

 

Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7 Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Mark 7:31-37

Again, Jesus set out: from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and, skirting the sea of Galilee,

he came to the territory of Decapolis. There, a deaf man, who also had difficulty in speaking,

was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him.

 

Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears, and touched his tongue with spittle.

Then, looking up to heaven, he said with a deep sigh, "Ephphata!" that is, "Be opened!" 

And immediately, his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.

Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about it; but the more he insisted, the more they proclaimed it.

The people were completely astonished and said, "He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak,"

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Be opened."

We can imagine the serpent hissing in the woman's ear, whispering lies and distorted truths.

Eve listens to words of falsehood and flattery, and she is tempted to disobey God.

The serpent implies that God is keeping Adam and Eve blind to their full potential,

but once they have disobeyed God, their eyes are opened to the truth of their sin,

and they realize that they are naked. Rather than being clothed in God's care and in their union with him,

they now feel naked and alone. They now see that they have pushed God away, and they become afraid of him.

The first reading has a whispering that leads to sorrow and sin. The Gospel has a breathing and sighing that brings new life and joy.

 

"Ephphata", be opened, says Jesus, and the deaf man's ears can hear again. Jesus touches the man, and creates him anew,

liberating him. May we not hide from God in fear, but approach him with confidence, acknowledging our faults.

May the Lord open the eyes of our minds and the ears of our hearts that we may recognize his ways and follow them.