Ephphatha

23rd Sunday In Ordinary Time
06 September 2009



Come, let us rejoice in the Lord: let us acclaim God our salvation, alleluia.

First reading Isaiah 35:4-7
Say to all faint hearts,
‘Courage! Do not be afraid.
Look, your God is coming,
vengeance is coming,
the retribution of God;
he is coming to save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
the ears of the deaf unsealed,
then the lame shall leap like a deer
and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy;
for water gushes in the desert,
streams in the wasteland,
the scorched earth becomes a lake,
the parched land springs of water.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 145:6-10

Second reading James 2:1-5
My brothers, do not try to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the making of distinctions between classes of people. Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, beautifully dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, ‘Come this way to the best seats’; then you tell the poor man, ‘Stand over there’ or ‘You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.’ Can’t you see that you have used two different standards in your mind, and turned yourselves into judges, and corrupt judges at that?

Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who are poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

Gospel Mark 7:31-37
Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’

Reflection
By Fidji Rivera - Sarmiento

I am an 80s baby. By the time I came to realize where I live, and that my country is the Philippines, it was already the EDSA revolution. I still remember back in preschool, when my teacher asked us to wear yellow, and I was tasked to sing Magkaisa. Whenever I watched the television, though it felt at that time that we as a people were victorious over some villain, I always sensed that my country was (and still is) poor. Poor in such a way that we are very unlike the United States and the European countries, and that Japan was a place where some of my classmates’ parents work. Of course, after having Sibika at Kultura (Civics & Culture), and Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) in school, I learned that we are even a third world country. My questions back in high school are still questions today. Let me share them with you.

1. Why is the Philippines poor?
2. Has poverty become our culture? Has it been the part of the Filipino psychology?
3. Is there a connection between our being Christians and being in the poverty line?
4. Is money really the root of all evil, or is it how money rules one’s life?
5. Have we taken Jesus’ words literally, so much so that we subconsciously chose to remain poor to see the kingdom of God? And then complain that most of our country is hungry and dissatisfied with the government?
6. Why do people blame the government for their misfortunes?

I know that for some of you, these queries are very immature, yet they have evolved to complex ones, try reading about this topic online (Philippines’ culture of poverty). But the premise remains the same. Some might also think that I am siding over the government, for which I truly am not. I am neither pro nor anti-government. But why have we remained poor? Deaf? Blind? Crippled, even when Jesus has already commanded, Ephphata!” meaning “be opened”?

Poverty has never been, and will never be a hindrance to any success. This has been such a cliché, and it seems that some Filipinos have never learned that, after watching so many episodes of Maalaala Mo Kaya, or Negosyete even. It seems to me, that after all, we have remained the Juan Tamad, waiting for the apple to fall from the tree, just like we are waiting for the government to wave its wand and turn this country upside down. Try passing by a squatters’ area where you can see tables and tables of men (and women, too) doing nothing productive. They drink, play bingo, gossip, and blame the government for their mishaps.

It is high time, that we stand up and become proactive. We have all the right tools in our bag – we are Christians; we are intelligent and creative; we are humble and we know suffering and sacrifice like no other; we are resilient Filipinos.






Father,
Today, we especially pray for our country. That we realize that the change we have been yearning for lies within us. It is not upon the government, or our employers but it is upon ourselves, and how we strive to be better Christians each day and contribute to the society. May we stop the blame game, but rather take the initiative in being productive on our own and be accountable to each Filipino. May we use the talents that you have endowed us, and think of creative ways to enrich ourselves in order to help our kapwa Pinoy (fellow Filipino). May we realize that being poor does not mean being financially poor, but rather poor in spirit, humble and obedient to Your Will. In the end, may we remain open to You and always heed to Your Call – “Ephphata!” This we pray through Mary our country’s Beloved Mother. Amen.