Readings
I - Is. 35: 4-7
II - Jas. 2: 1-5
III - Mk. 7: 31-37
WITH OPEN MIND AND HEART, ACCEPT ALL AS CHILDREN OF GOD
The first reading is about the day of the Messiah, prophesy foretold by Prophet Isaiah and the Gospel reading comes as the fulfillment of that prophesy in Christ Jesus our Lord, in the healing of the deaf and the speech impaired person. The second reading is an exhortation to the Christians to build their life upon Christian love that shows no favouritism to anyone based on riches and laurels of the world; and this is the messianic era modeled after the life of the Messiah where freedom, equality, fraternity and justice reign.
St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female’ for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:38). Do we Christians conduct our life this way? Don’t we too favour people based on wealth, riches, power, influence, caste, status and the place they come from? If so, then we are closed up to the life and teaching of our Master Jesus Christ that is based on love, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, generosity, understanding, empathy and gentleness. Let us today invite the Lord to open up our mind and heart to accept everyone as children of God, created in the image and likeness of God. May the ‘Ephphatha’ of Jesus be said unto us so that we become exemplary Christians living an edifying life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
