The older I get, the more I dislike going to loud and noisy places where it is difficult to hear and engage in conversation. Sometimes, there is so much noise around us, we fail to hear what is being said, and find ourselves trying to piece together what others are saying. In our gospel reading this weekend, we encounter Jesus healing a person with a hearing and speech impediment. Jesus invites the person to a quiet place, away from the crowd and all the distractions around him. It is there where Jesus touches the person, letting him know he is important, and invites him to “be open” as his hearing and speech are restored.
In so many ways, the person with the hearing and speech impairment represents you and me on our faith journey. At times, the noise of the crowd makes it difficult to hear and understand the words of Jesus. Sometimes the fog of busyness keeps us from seeing or feeling the presence of Jesus in our midst. Sometimes our need to be heard drowns out the voices of others among us. And sometimes, we stand before the Lord in need of Jesus’ healing touch.
As Jesus invited the person with the hearing and speech impediment to be open, we too are invited to be open to God’s presence in our lives. We are invited to spend quiet time with Jesus so that we can experience his loving touch in a special way. While it may take practice to sit alone with Jesus, to clear our minds and hearts of all the noise that surrounds us, to let go of words and let our hearts speak and hear the words we long to hear, when we do, we too experience God’s loving touch.
On October 26th, you are invited to attend our parish retreat with Sr. Dorothy, Open Your Door to God’s Love. It will be an opportunity to step away from the busyness around us and encounter the Lord in a profound and special way. Tickets are still available. Please invite family and friends to join you.
May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forever more.