23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Voice from the Pew Reflection
​Sr. Phyllis Jaszkowiak
September 5, 2021

​In the gospel of today, Jesus cures a deaf mute through touch and prayer.  Jesus cures his deafness, “opens his ears” by putting his finger in the man’s ears.  Jesus cures his speech impediment by touching his tongue and praying.  The man’s deafness and speech impediment went away.  He could hear and he could speak plainly.
 
Jesus took him away from the crowd so both Jesus and the man could focus on what was needed for the cure.
​

Homily
Fr. Chuck Lienert
Guest Presider
available by video only

Perhaps we could learn from this miracle.  Ask yourselves these questions.  To whom do I listen?  Are my ears open to hearing what God is saying to me?  Do I take time for silence so as to hear the truth no matter how hard that might be?  When I speak am I kind as well as truthful?  The man was cured of deafness, from what deafness do I need to be cured?  The man spoke clearly.  How and when do I speak clearly?  We could all use having our deafness gone.  We could all use the ability to speak clearly. 
 
As I listen to or read the news I wonder what is truth, what is disinformation.  Today we must again discern what is the truth.  Discernment takes prayer, times of silent contemplation, times of listening and times of sharing and speaking.  Without the silent contemplation, without listening, how can we ever hear God speaking God’s truth to us?  If we do not hear, have open receptive ears, how can we then speak?
 
In this time of change for our Parish we need to pray, listen to God, listen to others, speak our truth.  Be willing to negotiate.  Be open to new ways of being parish that will help us grow as a community doing God’s justice work in our part of the world.  We may not get exactly what we want and we will continue to try.  As Daniel Groody, CSC says, “If we emerge from this crisis, [this change], without becoming better people, we will have missed the opportunity for a more fundamental transformation.”
 
Isaiah says, “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be Strong!  Fear Not!  Here is your God, coming with vindication, with divine recompense God comes to save you.”  God is here, within each of us, within our parish, within the world, telling us what is needed for our Parish to thrive, and the world to be saved, to be at peace.
 
Isaiah continues: “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 tongues of the mute will sing.”
 
This is the promise.  Do we have ears to hear?  Eyes to see?  Hearts open to receive God’s love?  Voices to proclaim God’s goodness to all of us, to the whole world?  Let us go forth today believing God’s promise that God will be with us.  Let us be strong and fear not.  Let us instead let our tongues ring out in song, a song of praise to our God..
 
Daniel G. Groody, CSC.  GIVE US THIS DAY, September 2021.  Page 22.