Is 35.4-7a; Ps 145 (146); Jas 2.1-5; Mk 7: 31-37

“Then the eyes of the blind will open and the ears of the deaf will open.” Isaiah announces the day of the Lord as the hour of an opening: eyes and ears will open to welcome the closeness of the Lord, who comes to save us. The earth will also open, for “waters will flow out in the desert, streams will flow in the steppes.” The expectation aroused by the prophet is fulfilled in Jesus and in the word he pronounces today to a deaf-mute: “Effatà! Open up! ». The evangelist narrates: “And immediately his ears were opened, the knot of his tongue was untied and he spoke correctly”. “Here is your God”, Isaiah exclaimed: when he comes, everything opens up, everything becomes welcoming, hospitable, attentive and available to meet. After receiving the compassion of the Lord, who heals and transforms us, our life too becomes capable of saying words of mercy, of performing gestures of compassion, of walking on straight paths. God does everything well, he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak, because he returns them not just any word, but a true word, which matures in listening and knows how to say good. Become a blessing. Especially for those who – St James recalls – we would be tempted to discriminate in order to favor others, or to neglect because of their marginalization. “Open up!” Our life opens up when it accepts God’s criteria and judgments within itself and acts according to his style.

Commentary by Comunità di Dumenza

Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey