Jesus’ current call to each one of us.

Even if we don’t directly say to someone, or implement in ourselves, the words, the advice “Open up!”, we can often encounter this and similar thoughts.

Is the child closing up to you? Not listening? He does it his way. Many times it is not until it is too late that we realize how much effort, how much energy the people around us have put in to help us, and we have ignored them, not listened to them, and not respected their advice, their goodwill to help us. The doctor needs us to cooperate with him in his treatment. A teacher will teach more to those who want to learn. The athlete knows that it pays to listen and follow the coach’s words.

And that is why in the spiritual life, too, we need to reflect on our openness to God. Let us ask ourselves: How do we listen to the voice of God in our conscience? What do the words of the confessor mean to us…? Do we reflect on the word of God, the Gospel, or the sermon of the priest? To open ourselves to God, to welcome God into our lives, is for each person not only a step forward but often a mile, a mile…

The deaf of the Gospel, when he fulfilled Jesus’ call, “Effeta,” which means, “Open yourself!” At that moment, his ears were opened, and he loosed his fettered tongue and spoke rightly” (Mk 7:34-35).

Jesus had compassion for the suffering. The words of the prophet Isaiah were fulfilled, “Say to the fainthearted: “Take heart! Behold your God!… He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened. The lame shall leap like a deer, the tongue of the dumb shall shout for joy.” (Isa. 35:4-5).

The healing of the deaf and dumb speaks of the hope of a person genuinely wanting to communicate with God. How many challenges to our reflection and following. The deaf man was brought in and asked Jesus to lay hands on him. The sick man did not come alone. The ill needed help. It pleases God when we ask Him not only for ourselves but also for those suffering in our neighborhood.

The Gospel says that if we believe Jesus has power, why not seek him out? When we are sick, and others care about us, let us be led to Jesus. If faith is even as small as a mustard seed, why not entrust ourselves wholly and completely to Jesus?
In baptism, Jesus touched our souls. Baptism is not just a remembrance but a daily engagement with Christ. Those who knowingly and willingly sin after baptism need to regain their broken friendship with God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Sin makes us deaf and dumb and blind, lame, and dead. Jesus wants us to be his brothers and sisters again, living witnesses, teachers of his good news, and spreaders of his word. That is why he reminds us, “Effata,” which means, “Open!” (Mk 7:34) Jesus rightly asks the Christian to want to open himself to him, to be able to open himself to him, to hear his words, and to speak them.

Today is the moment to ask me what kind of Christian am I? Am I able to listen to Christ, accept his demands, or am I just asking, pleading, commanding God, or imposing my will? Am I not wiser than God? Recall how we listen to God’s word; do I ponder and meditate on God’s word? Am I opening myself up to God’s word? Jesus said to the Hebrews: “He who is of God hears the words of God.” (Jn. 8:47). Don’t these words also belong to us?
Suppose after Mass someone asks you, “Who preached the sermon?” Suppose someone were to say XY priest. Such an answer is not entirely true. A proper response should be: “XY priest and I preached the sermon.” Why is such an answer correct..? When we hear the Word of God, we believers are obligated to open ourselves to the Word of God. We are to open ourselves to God’s word. “Taffeta,” which means, “Open up!” (Mk 7:34). Let us consider – when we do not open ourselves when listening to God’s word, the preacher’s words may be wise, faithful, precious, but nothing will change inside us. Why did we come to Mass in the first place if we wanted to avoid opening ourselves to God…? The state of our soul also depends on us how we cooperate with God. Why is it that perhaps we have not heard God for a long time, and why do we not know how to speak to God? Let us not look for fault with God. Let us not say that Jesus does not love us. We come to Mass and some even to the sacraments, but we want to avoid opening up to God. We are full of “ourselves,” and we would like to avoid hearing God. We may confess our sins, but we do not make amends. We live in the same sins without trying to change our circumstances, leave the acquaintance, and leave the place where friendship with God is lost; we are unwilling to respond more actively to the voice of God within us, to the teachings of the Church. If we do not open ourselves to God, as he rightly asks of us, we will leave, so to speak, “empty” even today.

To the priest after Holy Confession, the parishioner with tears in his eyes says: “Please pray for me to change.” The priest promised help. A year later, again after confession, the parishioner, equally moved, asks the pastor, “Please pray for me.” The priest asks the parishioner to help him carry the table from one room to another. Once they were holding the table and the parishioner was dragging the table into the other room, the priest dropped it to the floor at once. After the priest has dropped the table on the floor several times in this way, the parishioner says: “Mr. Parish Priest, we are not going to move the table like this.” The priest just waited for these words and said: “You are asking me to pray for you to change. I am praying, but after a year, you have not yet done your part to change.”

An incident is related to the Greek orator Demosthenes: he once spoke forcefully to the Athenians about the need and importance of love for the city. He said sparingly and used many beautiful words. But the Athenians did not listen to him. Some yawned, others dozed, others underestimated the meaning of his words, and still, others talked. Then Demosthenes stopped speaking and remarked: “Now I will tell you the fable of the ass.” Suddenly there was silence, and all became alarmed, eager to hear the foolish fable of the donkey as if the happiness of Athens depended on it.

It is suitable when we are not like the Athenians. God’s word is necessary for us. And so we accept the invitation, the warning of Jesus when we have already come and perhaps been brought. Jesus takes us aside from everyone, touches our ears and mouths, and says to us, “Effeta,” which means, “Open!” (Mk 7:34). Our Lady says that “there was no one heard who took refuge under her protection and begged her help … that he would not be heard.” We know of Our Lady the words that “she kept all (Jesus’) words in her heart.” (Lk 2:51).

May our response of faith be demonstrated by works. “What we are speaking louder than what we say.” (Emerson) Our life as Christians is a calling card of our faith. Words convince few, but the only argument is our life. Verba moment, exempla tara hunt. About Jesus the crowd – when he taught, he did signs and wonders, he spoke: “He does all things well: he gives hearing to the deaf and speech to the dumb.” (Mk 7:37).

The father can do everything when the child does not want to cooperate. Only man has a reason and free will. A doctor can be a worldly expert when the patient does not do his bidding. God loves everyone, but He makes our happiness, both natural and eternal, conditional upon our being willing and open to His Word. What shall we answer? Let our answer be to the effect that we no longer want to linger in one place, but we want to receive God’s word, we want to be open to God’s word, and we want to grow in faith, hope, and love for God.

Thank you, God, for the reminder to open ourselves to your Word. This is what I want to ask you for today.