Pastoral Message – September 8, 2024
Looking ahead at the gospel passage we will hear this weekend, I was happy to see that this is one of those special passages in which St. Mark tells us what Jesus said in Jesus’ native Aramaic language. In healing a man who was deaf, Jesus touched his ears and said, “Ephphatha!” That was the first sound that the deaf man heard. The word means “Be opened!” but there’s something special about hearing the same exact sound that the deaf man heard as he was healed. In this way, St. Mark puts us in the scene that he is describing.
Incidentally, St. Mark quotes Jesus in Aramaic several times in his gospel. If you want to look them up, you will find Jesus’ Aramaic words in Mk. 5:41, Mk. 7:34, Mk. 14:36, and Mk. 15:34. In each of these passages, the evangelist is seeking to put us in direct touch with the Lord and the sound of his words.
All of this reminds us of the power of the spoken word. Of course, since Jesus is the Son of God, his words have tremendous power and profound meaning. Taking in those words and pondering them can be a powerful experience for us.
Our own spoken words also have power. We can use this power for good or for evil; clearly we are called to use this power only for what is good. For Scriptural input on this theme, I refer you to James 3:1-12. Let’s keep watch over our speech, so that we can always be instruments of peace, compassion, encouragement, kindness, and charity.
Blessings,
Fr. Philip
