Isaiah 35:4-7 / James 2:1-5 / Mark 7:31-37
In the media industry, there are a few aspects that are critical to audience reception.
Especially for movies and videos, besides the content, what is also necessary are sharp visuals and clear sound.
Going by today's standards, for video resolution it must be at least a full HD, and even going up to 4K. And for those who are into minute details, there is the Blu-ray format.
And when it comes to audio, besides the necessity for clarity, the volume consistency is also vital. We won't want to always keep adjusting the volume for a movie or a video, especially if we don't have the remote control, although it can be a form of good exercise.
And with the surge in online Masses, prayers and spiritual talks, then besides content and presentation, the other factors are the internet connection and device performance.
All those factors make it rather daunting if we were to do a video or an online presentation.
But besides the need for proper, or maybe even professional equipment, the question is the result or the effect that a media presentation has on the audience.
People may be impressed by the razzle-dazzle, but what is the takeaway for them? Did it enlighten them about the meaning of life, or make them think and reflect deeper about life?
In the gospel, we heard about Jesus healing a man who was deaf and also had an impediment in his speech.
The gospel ended off by saying that the people's admiration was unbounded, and they said this about Jesus: He has done all things well, he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.
Certainly, the people were impressed and amazed at what Jesus did. After all, it was quite spectacular.
But was there anything more than that? Did Jesus come to perform spectacular miracles just to impress people and to gain their admiration?
Of course, we will say “No”, and that must also make us think and reflect deeper about the gospel passage.
The miracles of Jesus, besides being wonderful and amazing, always have a message and a meaning.
There are many details in the gospel passage that we can reflect upon, but there is one that might escape our attention.
And it is this: Jesus look up to heaven and He sighed. And then He said to the man “Ephphatha” which means “Be opened”.
Jesus looked up to heaven to indicate that all miracles are the work of the power of God, and from Heaven, God pours down His healing love on the world.
Jesus sighed, to indicate that He came to be with us in our sufferings, and just as we sigh over our troubles, Jesus sighs with us and He wants to lift us up from our sufferings and troubles.
His spoken word “Ephphatha” is an Aramaic word, which is the spoken language of the people. It is their mother tongue, a language that resonates with the heart.
Jesus is the Word of God. His spoken word brings about God's healing love from heaven. His spoken word lifts us up from the bad news of the world to hear the Good News from heaven.
And He speaks to us in our “mother tongue” which is the language of love that everybody will understand.
We are in need of healing, because the pains and hurts that we have experienced may have made us close our ears to the cries of those in need.
We may have closed our mouths from speaking an encouraging word, or to give consolation to those in desolation.
To know that we are in need of healing is to be poor and humble in the eyes of the Lord.
And the 2nd reading says that it is the poor and humble according to the world that God chose to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the Kingdom.
Yes, Jesus says softly to us “Ephphatha”. It means “Be opened”.
But it is the sound of the language of love.
And we know what it really means, because we heard in the 1st reading: Say to all the faint hearts – Courage! Do not be afraid. Look, your God is coming, He is coming to save you.
May we hear it, understand that message and its meaning, and may we go forth to proclaim the message of God's healing love.