＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Genesis 3:1-8

 Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the wild creatures

That Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say: You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden, but of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden God said: You must not eat, and you must not touch it or you will die.”

The serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, but God knows that the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.”  The woman saw that the fruit was good to eat, and pleasant to the eyes, and ideal for gaining knowledge.

She took its fruit and ate it and gave some to her husband who was with her. He ate it. Then their eyes were opened and both of them knew they were naked. So they sewed leaves of a fig tree together and made themselves loincloths.

 They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden, in the cool of the day, and they, the man and his wife, hid from Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

 

Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7

Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Mark 7:31-37

 Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and skirting the sea of Galilee he came to the territory of Decapolis. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him.

 Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heav­en, he groaned and said to him, “Eph­phetha,” that is, “Be open­ed.”

And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it.  The people were completely astonished and said, “He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Life for someone who could not express what he or she feels, and having difficulty in understanding others because of hearing problems must be very hard indeed. Communication is difficult.

And slowly one retreats to oneself and shun the world. Being in company of others is a burden rather than being source of joy. That is why Jesus’ healing of the deaf man who had difficulty in speaking is more than just the restoration of speech and hearing.

It is giving back life and the capacity to enjoy it to the fullest. No wonder the people could not be stopped from proclaiming the healing miracle to others. Life as it is meant to be lived begins that day for the former deaf and dumb man.