23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
September 5, 2021
Mark 7:30-37

A miracle is something extraordinary. Miracles make ordinarily impossible things possible. Yet, some miracles are more powerful and cause more wonder than others. In today’s Gospel, Jesus performed yet another stunning miracle. He healed a person with hearing and speech impairment. At first, the miracle seems familiar and another routine for Jesus, but we may discover remarkable details if we got closer to the story’s context.

The person who begged for healing was struggling with several disabilities. The man was deaf, and if he could not hear sounds and voices since birth, he would not be able to speak as well. His speech impediment significantly worsened the condition. He could not say not only because he never heard a word but also his speech faculty had defects. It was an almost impossible case.

Another detail is that the way Jesus healed the man. He did not act the usual routines. He neither touch the afflicted person nor performs distant healing. His actions were somewhat ‘eccentric’. Mark described that Jesus placed His fingers inside man’s ears as if He tried to clear what blocked the hearing passages. He also spat on his hands and put his wet hands on the man’s tongue, as if He tried to soften what was dry and petrified. Jesus looked up to heaven and uttered ‘Ephatha!’ as if giving the command to various body parts that were tightly closed. Then, a remarkable miracle took place.

What happened was truly unique. The man could not only hear, but he could speak plainly. A man who was deaf since birth would need some time to learn how to say, but the great miracle was that Jesus infused the man with the gift of language. Jesus did heal not only the bodily infirmities but also enlighten the man with knowledge and understanding. It was a whole package miracle!

However, the miracle did not stop there. The effects of Jesus’ miracles ripple through the ages. We may not always see miracles of healing like in the Gospel, but we can always perform a miracle of love and mercy. As disciples of Christ, we continue to build a better place for people with disabilities. Now, our world may not be perfect, but it is a much better place for our afflicted brothers and sisters. If we see the bible, the early Church was concerned with how to take care of the most disenfranchised and how the apostles appointed seven deacons to minister to the poor widows. St. James, in his letter, denounced a practice in some ancient parishes that gave a seat to the rich and not to the poor [Jam 2:1-5]. The culture to help the poorest of the poor and even building structures like hospitals, shelters for the homeless, orphanages dramatically begins with Jesus and His Church. This spirit will continue until the age of time.

We thank our brothers and sisters who continue becoming the miracles of Christ for those people with disabilities. They spend time and resources to take care of abandoned babies, learn sign language to introduce Good News to the people who cannot hear, and create a better place for everyone.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP