Richard Bollman, S.J.

HOMILY, 23^rd Sunday, September 6.

"Hearing Again, for the First Time."

Isaiah 35:4-7; Mark 7:31-37

I came upon some comment about this Gospel story,

in America magazine, that column in the back called ‘The Word.’

The writer, Barbara Reid, tells of being in a restaurant

with a friend who uses hearing aids,

and how difficult it was for her to understand the ‘specials’ on the menu

when the waiter explained them.

You all have experienced this, I’m sure, maybe using a hearing aid yourself.

There are so many extra noises and voices in a public place,

that you have to make special effort to hear the voice you want to listen to.

So at one point, the waiter "came around to her side of the table

and leaned close, so she could hear what he was saying."

This is the first time I got a feel for this story,

and why Jesus moves away from the crowd to heal a deaf man.

Why does he find it important to move away a little distance

to open a man’s ears, to allow something new to happen.

Deafness has so long defined this fellow

that the sudden influx of voices, the amazement around him,

all that crowd who knew him and are waiting for a new miracle,

well this would be disorienting. It would be noise.

And besides, as Barbara Reid puts it,

Jesus would want the first voice the deaf man hears

to be his own voice his own groaning in prayer for him,

and that heartfelt word "Be opened."

Mark tells the story this way,

how it is important to be able to hear exactly and only the the word of Jesus,

which is why Mark includes in his text the Aramaic word Ephphata.

An Aramaic word in his Greek Gospel.

The real word of Jesus, that sacred moment.

You see how this story becomes then a story

of important change for the man,

not just being able to hear, but being connected to Jesus.

This is where it touches me, surely, and let me say why.

Isn’t it something we really do want for ourselves,

for our minds and lives and souls, the real word, God’s word for us,

even to feel the hand of Jesus, his finger opening our ear,

touching our tongue, to bring something to happen

that we don’t easily have every day.

Whether we’re hard of hearing or not,

we are surrounded by voices, opinions, sound bites,

a shouting match of words pulling us in all directions these days.

And besides that, inside ourselves,

don’t you hear a lot of voices that talk, talk, talk,

telling us our value, our worth,

regretting the past, fearing the future.

Voices that rile us up in reactionary anger or shut us down

unsure of what we really believe and think.

Oh for a moment when we might be taken apart from the crowd

and the finger of the living Christ be felt in our ear.

One interpretation of that gesture is that it opens the way

for the inner demon to rush out, to leave this man’s spirit and soul.

Be done with this buzzing confusion!

This is what we want: to be taken aside, the buzzing to stop

in the actual presence of Jesus for us.

Suddenly we are called to our true nature,

and the splendid clarity of just being in this present moment

where the past regrets and the future worries

all the blaming and fear and anger, rushes away.

It is not of God.

And what we encounter then is the groaning of Jesus for us.

On our behalf! Can you hear it? As we are even now.

A groan rising up from the deep heart of Christ.

Think of it, being drawn to such a moment

where there is nothing between us and the heart of Christ.

And we can sense his prayer for us.

I encourage you this week to listen for the groaning,

the inner longings of Jesus

that rise up. Let God groan for you. Hear it:

and the word that gives way then

EPHPHATA.

Be Opened.

And that which breaks in on us then is something I would call

Yielding to our goodness,

allowing for what is and for what God can do,

Peace, Assurance, Sacred friendship.

Be Opened to all this, even to be caught up in a movement of love.

What a gift for everybody!

Because the healing of individuals is not meant only for them,

but for the reintegration of a healthy village, a hopeful city.

When the booming confusion of contrary voices and accusations

all dies away: our self-accusations, our regrets,

when they die away, and we tune our senses

to the groaning of God for us,

then there comes that transforming word: be open to me,

be open to one another, be open to this world.

Then it is as Isaiah cries out:

our eyes and our ears will be able to see, able to hear,

Then we shall learn to speak.

clearly, simply

to be received and understood.

And we will sing for joy.