How many barriers exist that endanger our relationship with
God?
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus heals a deaf man who had a speech impediment,
restoring him to full community by enabling him to hear words spoken by those
around him and to respond in kind. Yet this
man is healed not simply because he is brought
to Jesus, but, more importantly, because Jesus touches him, entering intimately into his life, his existence, to operate change. Jesus is
fulfilling the Messianic predictions of the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Then will the eyes of the
blind be opened, the ears of the deaf shall hear…) and Psalm 146 (The Lord gives sight to the blind), and
as a result, this man can now take down whatever barriers might stand in the way of his
relationship with God.
Today, the Messiah is already in our midst – can we, too, hear him? Our challenge is to embrace the salvation
Jesus offers in the lives we live by generating forgiveness, opening ourselves to one another, entering into one another's lives, growing in
understanding, and walking side by side with all, man with gold rings and poor
person alike (James). Thanks to Jesus’ death
and rising, we know God loves us. Isn’t
it now our responsibility to make that beautiful knowledge known by living the salvation
that is in us, to proclaim it as
witnesses to Christ’s power in our lives?
This reflection is based on notes from Fr. Pat's Thursday Scripture class.
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