Be Strong, Fear Not! – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
The Lord speaks “to those whose hearts are frightened.” Are you one whose heart is frightened?
I am.
My heart is not frightened in the sense of being scared of the Lord. I know that the Lord loves me. My heart is frightened by what is going on in the world. For instance, as we enter a new school year, there was a mass school shooting in Georgia (and it wasn’t the only shooting this week).
I see the mass shootings as important in their own but also as part of a larger problem, the lack of respect for the dignity of all life.
I am also “frightened” by the number of people turning away from the Lord and the effect of this on society.
What does the Lord say to those who are frightened (in today’s first reading)?
“Be strong, fear not!”
These are indeed troubling situations for us and for the Lord. However, we do not need to live in fear. Instead, we can “be strong” for the Lord is with us as “he comes with vindication; with divine recompense He comes to save you.”
The Lord will make things right if we let him. The Lord promises (in today’s first reading) “then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.”
Jesus will come and do many physical healings that fulfill these words of the Lord but it is not just physical illnesses that the Lord will heal.
Speaking of how the eyes of the blind will be opened, how are you blinded by sin? What keeps you from seeing as the Lord sees (1 Samuel 16:7)? The Lord can open your heart.
The Lord promises to heal the deaf. In today’s gospel, Jesus indeed heals a deaf man. How well are you hearing what the Lord is saying? You hear God’s Word read at Mass but are you really listening? The Lord can fix that if you let him.
Do you feel lame in your faith? Let the Lord be your strength and your guide as you seek to share the gospel.
Today’s psalm assures us
The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
We can count on the Lord who shows no partiality. Just as the people brought the “deaf man who had a speech impediment” to Jesus, we can bring all our fears and ailings to the Lord.
Jesus can heal us. He wants us to understand that the healing He offers us is not done simply through medical procedures (The Lord is one who gives healthcare workers the gifts to heal us). Jesus heals the deaf man in an amazing way.
“He put his finger into the man’s ear and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphata!”
Jesus says the same thing to us, that is, “Ephphata!…that is, Be opened.”
Jesus wants to open your eyes to hear his word and your mouth to proclaim his glory.
Are you willing to let Jesus do this? I’m not talking about showing up for Mass and sitting there quietly for an hour while you wait to do what you have planned for the rest of the day. When I ask, “are you willing to let Jesus do this?”, I am asking if you are willing to truly let Jesus transform your heart.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff