Dear Friends,

Next Sunday is the great feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, one of the five major feasts of the church year. In spiritual preparation for this holiday, our church fathers have appointed a week-long (Monday – Friday) Lenten fast.

Today’s gospel passage from the seventh chapter of St. Mark’s gospel presents yet another of the many miracles that make up our blessed Lord’s healing ministry. From the text it’s obvious that news of Jesus’ healing abilities had spread throughout the region.

We are told that some people, having heard the good news of Jesus, were eagerly seeking him out so that he would lay his hands upon a man, who was deaf and had a speech impediment. The Lord took the man aside, put his fingers into his ears, spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened.”

Immediately the man’s ears were opened and he could now speak plainly. Those who witnessed the event were astonished and said, “He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”

Interestingly, Jesus charges the witnesses to tell no one about the miracle. However, the people proclaim the miracle all the more zealously. In the gospel of Mark, a number of times Jesus asks the people to keep the miracles to themselves. Commentaries offer that the purpose of this prohibition was Mark’s insistence that Jesus is more than a healer and that his full identify would be revealed only in the cross and resurrection.

Friends, as we ready ourselves for the great day of the Holy Cross let us pray that the Lord open our spiritual ears so that the teachings and commandments of our blessed Lord penetrate our hearts; and that He inspire our tongues to proclaim the message of salvation, which comes through faith in His blessed crucifixion and resurrection.

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With prayers.
Hayr Simeon
September 9, 2007