We have come to associate the good news of salvation with something that is going to take place in the distant future, as something purely spiritual.
But Scripture pictures salvation in more realistic and physical terms. In today's first reading Isaiah reminds the people that God will save them and they will experience tangible signs of his power and loving care for them. The message of the prophet is loud and clear to all who believe in God. We may be living in difficult times, we may be faced with uncertainty. What is God saying to us? His promise is not something for the distant future but will be realized right now. He is coming to save us and He will give us signs of his presence. Are we open to His touch? Can we believe that His hand is there in all that is happening to us today? "Be open!"She was both deaf and blindWe all know Helen Keller, whose story we read or watched in the play or movie 'The Miracle Worker'. Helen wrote in her autobiography the key experience in her life: "The most important day I remember in all my life is the one in which my teacher, Annie Mansfield Sullivan, came to me. I stretched out my hand as I supposed it to be my mother. But someone took it, and I was caught up and held close in the arms of someone who had come to reveal all things to me, and more than all else to love me." Annie Sullivan did give the child enormous love, but she also gave her firm and, at times, violent discipline. Annie's combination of very tender and warm love and very stern and uncompromising discipline touched this child deeply and made her into a human being and a very great one at that. Even a cynical soul as Mark Twain, who got to know Helen Keller, reckoned her as one of the most interesting figures in the nineteenth century, because she had conquered her own physical limitations to become a beautiful and noble lady.
William Bausch in 'Telling Stories, Compelling Stories'
In today's Gospel we see Jesus dealing with the man who was deaf and dumb and we can receive many insights for our own life from contemplating the scene. Firstly, we are reminded that the man was brought to Jesus by others who implored Jesus to lay his hand on him. There are times when we cannot help ourselves and we need others to bring us to Jesus. When we come across people who are hurting and helpless, we need to bring them to Jesus. Secondly, we are told that the man was deaf and also had an impediment in his speech. We might say that we have no such problem, we can hear well and we have no problem speaking. But have we no problem? Can we really hear? Can we hear what people are trying to say to us? Can we hear what the situation we are in, is saying to us? Can we hear what God is saying to us? In Jesus' response to the man who was brought for healing, we see the compassionate love and care of Jesus for him and for all who need his healing touch. The gospel tells us that Jesus took him aside from the crowd. He deals with him on a personal level on a one-to-one basis. Jesus spends time alone with him, and touches him putting his fingers into his ears and spittle on his tongue. Jesus could have healed him from a distance but he draws close to him and gets involved with him and touches him and looking up to heaven, as if to remind all that His power comes from on high, He says: "Be opened!", and the man was healed and he could hear and speak. He ordered the crowd to tell no one about it because he does not want them to come to him just to witness miracles but to come with faith for the touch of love, the touch of the Master's Hand, that is often felt in hidden, unobtrusive yet loving ways.
The Touch of the Master's Hand
There is a poem by Myra Brook Welch called 'Touch of the Master’s Hand'. In this poem she tells the story of an old dusty violin being auctioned. The violin is about to be sold for a mere $3 when a grey-haired man steps forward, picks it up, dusts it off and begins to play. The man plays such sweet music on the violin that when he finishes, the bidding jumps into thousands of dollars. What changed its value? What transformed the dusty old violin into a precious instrument? -the Touch of the Master's Hand. 'And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scarred with sin, is auctioned cheap, to the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin. But the Master comes and the foolish crowd never can understand the worth of a soul, and the change that's wrought by the Touch of the Master's Hand.'
Albert Cylwicki in 'His Word Resounds'
Be very careful of what you speak
A woman went to confession and confessed that she had been gossiping about others. As her penance, the priest told her to go to the market, buy an unplucked hen, and, on her way home, she was to pluck the hen, feather by feather, and let each feather be carried off by the wind. She did that, and returned to the priest. He praised her for her obedience, and he said "Now, there's one more thing to do. I want you to go back along the road, and pick up every feather belonging to that hen." The woman was dumb founded. The task was impossible. By now, the wind had scattered those feathers miles away, out across the country. "Exactly", said the priest. "Now you see what happens as a result of your gossiping. It is impossible to call the words back, once you sent them on their way. Be very very careful what you speak, and especially what you gossip. It is almost impossible to repair the damage."
Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth!'
When Jesus enters…
A working man was strongly drawn towards a beautiful vase he saw in a stall down in the town market. He bought the vase and brought it home. The vase was so beautiful that it made his front room look drab, dull, and indeed plain ugly. So he got bright paints and transformed the whole house. He got colourful curtains to match the paint, a brightly patterned carpet, and he even stripped down and varnished the furniture. Because of the beauty of the vase the whole room was transformed. - When Jesus enters my heart, the areas in need of attention become, oh, so obvious. Holiness consists in discovering that I am a much bigger sinner than I ever thought I was! The closer I come to God the more obvious the contrast! When Jesus comes, his touch, his presence makes all the difference!
Jack McArdle in 'More stories for Preachers and Teachers'
******
2. SERMONS.COM:
FROM FR. TONY KADAVIL:
1. The “little monk” Telemachus who opened blind
eyes of an empire: At the Annual National Prayer Breakfast on
February 2, 1984, Ronald Reagan, the former president of the United States,
told the old story of “the little monk,” Telemachus, a martyr whose
self-sacrificial commitment to Christian ideals opened the blind eyes and deaf
ears of the Romans and their fifth century Christian Emperor Honorius.
According to the story, this Turkish monk was led by an inner voice to go to
Rome in order to stop the cruel and inhuman gladiatorial fights between slaves.
He followed the crowds to the Coliseum where two gladiators were fighting.
He jumped into the arena and tried to stop them, shouting, “In the name
of Christ, hold back!” The gladiators stopped, but the spectators
became indignant. A group of them rushed into the arena and beat
Telemachus to death. When the crowd saw the brave little monk lying dead
in a pool of blood, they fell silent, leaving the stadium, one by one. Three
days later, because of Telemachus’ heroic sacrifice of his own life, the
Emperor decreed an end to the games. — In today’s Gospel, which describes the
miraculous healing of a deaf mute, we are invited to open our ears and eyes,
loosen our tongues and pray for the courage of our Christian convictions to
become the voice of the voiceless. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2: “The Touch of the Master’s Hand”: In the poem, “The
Touch of the Master’s Hand,” (for lyrics & music watch Myra Brooks
Welch), tells the story of the auctioning of an old, dusty violin. The violin
was about to be sold for a mere $3 when a grey-haired man stepped forward,
picked it up, dusted it off, tuned it and began to play. The man played such
sweet music that, when he finished, the bidding jumped into the thousands of
dollars. What transformed the dusty old violin into a precious instrument? The
touch of the Master’s hand. — The same “touch of the Master’s hand” continues
to transform our lives today. By God’s touch we become His instruments to accomplish
the marvelous works described in today’s Psalm 146: to secure justice
for the oppressed, give food to the hungry and set the captives free. Fr.
Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
(Touch Of The Master’s Hand, The
Booth Brothers)
Well it was battered and
scarred and the auctioneer felt
It was hardly worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin
But he held it up with a smile
He said, “It sure ain’t much but it’s all we’ve got left
I guess we oughta sell it too.
Oh, now who’ll start the bid on this old violin
Just one more and we’ll be through.”
And then he cried:
“One, give me one dollar, who’ll make it two?
Only two dollars, who’ll make it three?
Three dollars twice, now that’s a good price
Who’s gonna bid for me?
Raise up your hand now, don’t wait any longer
The auction’s about to end
Who’s got for just one dollar more to bid on this old violin?”
Well, the air was hot and
the people stood around
As the sun was setting low
And from the back of the crowd, a gray-haired man
Came forward…(Source: Musixmatch).
Music: https://youtu.be/JYgAsSyIibY & https://youtu.be/s8Ud34hc_l0
3: The “Ephphatha prayer:” There is a little
ritual in the rite of Baptism — alas it is often omitted — whose name and form
are taken from today’s Gospel: “The Ephphatha.” The celebrant touches the ears
and then the lips of the one to be baptized saying: “The Lord Jesus made the
deaf hear and the dumb speak. May He soon touch your ear to receive His word
and your mouth to proclaim His Faith.” This simple ceremony captures not
only the kernel of today’s Gospel, but a most profound aspect of our Faith: its
‘giftedness’. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4: “Five past two.” Two older men were talking.
One of them was bragging just a little bit. “I just purchased the most
expensive hearing aid ever made,” he said. “It is imported and is guaranteed
for life.” The second man asked: “What kind is it?” The first man answered, “Five
past two.” — We can laugh about the hearing loss that comes with aging. It is a
minor problem that will affect most of us sooner or later. In fact, experts
predict that years of rock music, leaf blowers, and noise pollution in general
will result in millions of baby boomers with hearing loss. According to a
recent study by the National Institutes of Health, there has been a stunning 26
percent increase in those suffering permanent hearing loss between the ages of
35 and 60, compared to 15 years earlier. [With Adam Hanft, Dictionary
of the Future (New York, NY: Hyperion, 2001), p. 3.] Today’s Gospel
passage tells us how Jesus healed a deaf man who was mute. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
5. “Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to
be gloomy all the time” {Proverbs 17: 22}.1) Who is deaf? An
old man is talking to the family doctor. “Doctor, I think my wife’s going
deaf.” The doctor answers, “Well, here’s something you can try on her to test
her hearing. Stand some distance away from her without facing her and ask her a
question. If she doesn’t answer, move a little closer and ask again. Keep
repeating this until she answers. Then you’ll be able to tell just how hard of
hearing she really is.” The man goes home and tries it out. He walks in the
door and asks, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” He doesn’t hear an answer, so he
moves closer to her. “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Still he gets no answer. He
repeats this several times, until he’s standing just one foot away from her.
Finally, she answers, “For the eleventh time, I said we’re having meat loaf!”
6. The new hearing aid: An elderly gentleman had
had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor, and
the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed
the gentleman to hear 100%. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the
doctor and the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be
really pleased that you can hear again.” The gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t
told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve
changed my will three times!”
7. Using Webster’s English in the first century! Helena,
a member of the Providence, Rhode Island Women’s Club went to a fund-raising
“carnival” staged for the benefit of the Women’s Club. One of the events took
place in a tent which had been set up for a medium to conduct séances. Helena
bought a ticket, went inside, and sat down at a large round table, presided
over by the medium. The medium asked if anyone would like to make contact with
a departed person. “Very well,” said Helena, “there is a Bible story about
Jesus curing a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. I would like to
contact that man.” After much bellringing, moaning and groaning, and humming
which seemed to be coming from all directions, a voice from the chandelier
announced distinctly, “I am the man whom Jesus cured of deafness and a speech
impediment.” To which Helena replied, “I know you can hear me because Jesus
cured you of your deafness, and I can tell you that your speech is coming
through most clearly, but I have one question.” “Ask me anything,” the voice came
back. “All right, then,” said Helena, “tell me, where did you, the
Aramaic-speaking, first century Palestinian learn to speak American English?”
23- Additional anecdotes:
1) Ludwig van Beethoven: Did you know, by the
way, that the three most popular languages in the United States are English,
Spanish, and American Sign Language? There are more non-hearing people in our
land than you might imagine. One of the saddest instances of deafness that I
know is that of the immortal composer of classical music, Ludwig van Beethoven.
For a musician, deafness would be the tragedy of tragedies. As he himself wrote
on one occasion, “How sad is my lot! I must avoid all things that are dear to
me.” There was a terrible time when Beethoven was struggling to conduct an
orchestra playing one of his own compositions. He could not hear even the full
orchestra. Soon he was beating one time and the orchestra was playing another,
and the performance disintegrated in disaster. There is a pathetic picture of
him after he had given a piano recital, bent over the keyboard, oblivious to
the applause that thundered about him. He wrote on another occasion, “For two
years I have avoided almost all social gatherings because it is impossible for
me to say to people ‘I am deaf.’ If I belonged to any other profession it would
be easier, but in my profession it is a frightful state.” — Beethoven died a
broken, bitter man. You and I who have our hearing, have our vision, who are
able to get around with a minimum of impediments, ought to thank God every day,
and we ought to salute those who overcome obstacles that we cannot even
imagine. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2) “You have turned to medicine and drinking, and you are
killing yourself.” W. Moore, in his book, When All Else Fails,
Read the Instructions, tells about a “made-for-TV” movie years ago
titled The Betty Ford Story. The movie was produced with the help,
the support and the encouragement of former First Lady Betty Ford, to reveal,
out of her own personal experience, the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Mrs. Ford
was overwhelmed by the demands and stresses of being this nation’s first lady
and by the debilitating pain of arthritis. Consequently, over time, she became
addicted to pain medication and alcohol. In the most powerful scene in that
movie, her family confronts Mrs. Ford, and one by one, her children express
their love and their concern for her. And then straightforwardly, they tell her
what they are seeing–that she has become a prescription-medicine addict and an
alcoholic. At first, she denies that she has a problem, but eventually she
realizes what is happening and gets help. In that poignant intervention scene,
one of the children says this to her, “Mother, always before, when you had a
problem, you turned to God and to your family, but lately you have shut us out.
You have turned to medicine and drinking, and you are killing yourself.” —
Sometimes the most loving thing you can do for someone is to tell him or her
–in love–the brutal truth. Betty Ford’s family loved her enough to help her see
herself as she really was. As long as there is someone who cares for us, there
is hope. That is the first thing we need to see. And here is the second thing:
No one is hopeless who is open to Jesus. That is why someone brought this
non-hearing man to Jesus. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) Deaf Heather Whitestone did that. When
Heather was a child, Daphne, her mother, was advised to send Heather to a
school for the deaf and not to expect her to receive more than a third-grade
education. But her mother had greater ambitions for Heather. With her mother’s
encouragement Heather has been able to turn a hearing disability into an asset.
Many of you will recognize Heather Whitestone’s name as Miss America 1995. In
Heather’s hometown there is a poster featuring a photo of Heather, taped on a
storefront. The poster reads: “They said she would only be able to get a
third-grade education. Fortunately, she wasn’t listening!” (Denise George,
“Capturing a Nation’s Heart,” Pursuit, Vol. III No. 4, p. 26).
— Today’s Gospel tells us how a deaf and mute man receives Jesus’ healing
touch. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4) The healing touch: The Elephant Man,
is a play about a real person. The “Elephant Man” was terribly deformed. People
who saw him were repelled. If you saw the play, you will remember his meeting
with Mrs. Kendall, an actress who befriended him. He offered her his
less-deformed hand, but Mrs. Kendall shakes her head, making it clear that she
wants to hold his horribly deformed hand. It takes several minutes for him to
summon up the courage to hold out the other hand. Finally, Mrs. Kendall takes
it into her hand and holds it affectionately for a minute. Then she leaves.
Just before the curtain falls on Act I, the Elephant Man says, “This is the
first time I have ever held a woman’s hand.” And much of the spiritual healing
that occurs in his life follows this very simple incident. — The medical
community has been telling us about the therapeutic value of touching. For
example, monitoring equipment can measure the effects of the healing touch of a
nurse on a patient. The heartbeats of intensive care patients often can be
stabilized when a caring nurse holds a patient’s hand. The effects are
measurable. A few years ago, in some orphanages in South America, many of the
young children were dying mysteriously although they were well fed. Dr. Rene
Spitz, who studied this phenomenon, concluded that the babies were dying for
lack of touch, for lack of the love that is communicated through touching.
Henri Nouwen, author of many spiritual books, has written about his experiences
in South America, working among the poor. He talks about the children who come
and stand beside him, not looking for a handout, but hoping to be hugged, to be
touched, to be loved. They want that more than anything else, he says. Today’s
Gospel tells us a story of Jesus’ healing touch, conveying the transforming
power of God’s love, which healed a dumb man. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
5) “It simply depends on what you are listening to.” A
number of years ago, I heard a story about a Native American, a Cherokee, who
was in downtown New York walking with a friend who lived in New York City. As
they were walking along all of a sudden the Native American stopped and said,
“I hear a cricket.” His friend replied, “Oh, you’re crazy.” “No, I hear a
cricket. I do! I’m sure of it,” he said. The New Yorker said “It’s noon. There
are people everywhere headed to lunch, cars are honking, taxis squealing,
there’s all the noise from the city. Surely you can’t hear a cricket above all
that.” The Native America said, “Well, I’m sure I hear a cricket.” So he
listened attentively and then walked about 10 feet to the corner where there
was a shrub in a large cement planter. He dug beneath the leaves and found a
cricket. His friend was astounded. But the Cherokee said, “My ears are no
different from yours. It simply depends on what you are listening to. Here, let
me show you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change, a
few quarters, some dimes, nickels, and pennies. And he dropped it on the
concrete. Every head within half a block turned. “You see what I mean?” as he
began picking up all the coins. “It all depends on what you are listening for.”
— I wonder what the deaf man in the passage today started listening for! Fr.
Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
6) Some of you know the name Max Cleland. Cleland
is a former United States Senator from the state of Georgia. Max Cleland is a
genuine war hero. He lost three limbs in Vietnam. How did he keep going? He
says that one of the books that inspired him after his devastating injuries was
an incredible story titled Reach for the Sky. This book is about
Doug Bader, a fighter pilot of World War II. Doug Bader was a gifted young
pilot in the British Royal Air Force before World War II. Just before the war,
he was involved in a plane crash that changed his life forever. Both of his
legs were amputated, and he was discharged from the R.A.F. as “totally
disabled.” However, as Hitler hammered Great Britain in the blitz, England
needed every available, trained pilot who could be found. Bader was proficient
with his artificial limbs by this time, and desperately wanted to return to
active duty. In an amazing and unbelievable turn of events, Bader was returned
to active duty in the R.A.F. He had an incredibly successful record as a pilot.
He shot down 26 enemy planes and achieved the rank of wing commander. But then
he himself was shot down behind enemy lines. As his plane went down in flames, he
managed to parachute to safety, but he left one of his artificial legs behind.
On the ground, he was easily captured by the Germans. He became a P.O.W. But
the story doesn’t end there. He escaped from the P.O.W. camp. When he was
recaptured the Germans placed him in a maximum-security prison. He remained
there until the war was over. The Germans were so impressed by his courage that
they allowed the R.A.F. to send Bader an artificial leg to replace the one he
left in his crashing plane. When he strapped on the limb, the German officers
raised their glasses in a toast of respect. The British celebrated the fifth
anniversary of what Churchill called “The Battle of Britain” at the end of the
war. Wing Commander Doug Bader was chosen to lead the fly past over London in
honor of the occasion. For his incredible courage in World War II, Bader
received the Victoria Cross, England’s highest military decoration. [Max
Cleland, Going For The Max! 12 Principles for Living Life to the
Fullest (Nashville, TN, 1999).] — These stories of people who overcame
the loss of one of their physical abilities are amazing. Have you ever noticed
that Jesus seemed to have had a special love for people with handicapping
conditions? Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
7) “There’s no bill now.” : One of the sad
truths of life is that people with physical disabilities are often the
recipients of abuse and humiliation from others. From a very young age, Henry
Viscardi learned this cruel lesson. Henry was born with stumps instead of fully
developed legs. He learned to walk well on his stumps, and he was capable of
living a normal life, but the prejudices of others hurt him very much. When
Henry was reduced to crying out, “Why me?” his mother told him a story that may
trouble us theologically, but it helped young Henry. She said, “When it was
time for another crippled boy to be born, the Lord and His councils held a
meeting to decide where he should be sent, and the Lord said, “I think the
Viscardis would be a good family to take care of him.'” It was just a simple
story, but it made Henry feel he had a place and a purpose in life. He stopped
asking “Why me?” and began making the most of his abilities. Henry did very
well in school, and eventually graduated from Fordham University. After years
of trying to walk like a normal person, Henry had damaged the skin and tissue
of his stumps. He knew that without prosthetic legs, he would have to use a
wheelchair. But no prosthesis could be found to fit him properly. Doctor after
doctor said it was hopeless. But then one day, a German doctor committed
himself to inventing a prosthesis that would work for Henry. It took a few
months, but the German doctor finally created a workable pair of legs. For the
first time in his life, Henry Viscardi looked and walked like a normal man. But
when he tried to pay for the legs, the doctor refused to accept it. Here’s what
he said to Henry, “There’s no bill now. But someday, if you’ll make the
difference for one other individual–the difference between a life dependent on
charity and one rich with dignity and self-sufficiency–our account will be
squared.” Henry joined the Red Cross during World War II, and he dedicated
himself to helping new amputees deal with their situation. When the war ended,
Henry witnessed the problems that many disabled veterans had in getting jobs.
So he gathered together a group of sympathetic business leaders and created
Just One Break–or JOB–an organization that finds jobs for people with disabilities.
Next, Henry started Abilities, Inc., with the same goal in mind. That was over
forty years ago. Today, Abilities, Inc. has grown into the National Center for
Disabilities Services. They run a school for children with disabilities. All
their efforts are aimed at educating, empowering, and rehabilitating those with
physical disabilities. As Henry Viscardi says today, “I can’t help but believe
that the Lord had a plan for my life that made me the way I was and let me
become who I am.” [Eric Feldman, The Power Behind Positive Thinking (San
Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996), pp. 153-155.] — Do you hear what he is
saying? Henry Viscardi looked for God’s hand in his life, and he yielded
himself to that leading hand and he accomplished far more than the majority of
people with two good legs accomplish in their lifetimes. As long as somebody
loves you, there’s hope. As long as you are willing to yield yourself to Jesus’
touch there is hope. This deaf man with the speech impediment had
people who cared about him. They brought him to Jesus. And then this deaf man
yielded himself to the Master’s touch. Looking up to Heaven, Jesus sighed and
said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately this man’s ears
were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
8) “Something in me wants to live.” Rachel Naomi
Remen who has written a popular book titled Kitchen Table Wisdom is
a medical doctor. She has learned through the years that the best healing of
the human body takes place when the mind, body and spirit work together. She is
“one of the earliest pioneers in the mind/body health field.” Dr. Remen
understands the importance of Faith within the field of medicine because her
first and most important mentor was her grandfather, a rabbi. Dr. Remen speaks
of the “life force” in people. It is very similar to Schweitzer’s doctor
within. She tells about Max, a sixty-three-year-old man who was sent to her
because he had metastatic colon cancer. In the words of Dr. Remen, “The experts
had given him daunting statistics and offered only a guarded prognosis.” Their
work together had to do with helping Max to see where his life force was. You
see Max had been born prematurely. As a tiny, weak baby, he had absorbed his
mother’s time and energy in the first few years of his life, which, for some
reason, had enraged his father. As a little boy Max overheard an argument
between his parents in which his father said, “If that little runt was one of
the animals, I’d have put it out to starve.” That comment was devastating for
Max. For the next 60 years he lived a self-destructive life that would have
destroyed a weaker man. Dr. Remen reminded Max that despite his many brushes
with death, the broken bones, the accidents, the risks he took almost daily, he
was still here. She asked him what he thought had brought him through. “Luck,”
he said quickly. She shot him a skeptical look. No one was that lucky. He sat
for a while with his thoughts. Then in a choked and almost inaudible voice, he
confessed that he had always wanted to live. She could hardly hear him. “Can
you say that any louder?” He looked at the rug between his boots. Unable to
speak, he just nodded. Almost in a whisper he said, “I feel ashamed.” Dr. Remen
said that her heart went out to him. In a shaking voice he said, “Something in
me wants to live.” His eyes were still fixed on the rug. “Say it, Max,” Dr.
Remen thought. “Say it until it becomes real.” She wondered if she dared to
push him a little further. “Do you think you could look at me and tell me
that?” Dr. Remen asked Max. She could sense the struggle in him. Had she gone
too far? He had never confronted his father. Most likely, saying such a simple
thing out loud, “I want to live,” went against a lifelong pattern. Perhaps he
would not be able to free himself even this little bit. With an effort Max
raised his eyes, his voice still choked but no longer inaudible. “I want to
live,” he said evenly. They stared at each other for a few moments but he did
not drop his eyes. Dr. Remen smiled at him. “I want you to live too,” she said.
And he did. Max went on to live eight more years. [(Penguin, 1996), pp. 12-13.
Cited by Jean A. F. Holmes, http://www.npcpearl.org/Sermons/Sermon10292000.htm.]
— Imagine! If a conversation with Dr. Remen could have such an effect on a
person, what could a contact with Jesus of Nazareth have done for him? Jesus’
works of healing should be the least controversial part of his ministry. Of
course Jesus could heal, and still heals today — sometimes bodies, sometimes
marriages, sometimes broken hearts — but Jesus does heal. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
9) “And now, God, what can I do for you?” The
story is told of a four-year-old saying her night prayers. She asked God to
take care of mommy, daddy, and her cat. Then she asked, “And now, God, what can
I do for you?” — A question still hotly debated is how do we take care of the
poor. Three billion people exist on $3 a day. Over one half billion on $1
daily. A quarter billion children work sometimes in dreadful conditions. Five
people will die from malaria in the time it takes you to read this homily. Do
we help the poor and ill just by paying our taxes? Or do we give at the office?
Or do we get our own hands dirty? The answer to these questions is found in
today’s Gospel? (Fr. James Gilhooley) Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) “The Country of the Blind” is a short story
written by H.G Wells. While attempting to summit the unconquered crest of
Parascotopetl, a fictitious mountain in Ecuador, a mountaineer named Nunez
slips and falls down the far side of the mountain. At the end of his descent,
down a snow-slope in the mountain’s shadow, he finds a valley, cut off from the
rest of the world on all sides by steep precipices. It was an unusual village
with windowless houses and a network of paths, all bordered by kerbs. Upon
discovering that everyone is blind, Nunez begins reciting to himself the
refrain, “In the Country of the Blind the One-Eyed Man is King”. He realizes
that he can teach and rule them, but the villagers have no concept of sight and
do not understand his attempts to explain this fifth sense to them. Frustrated,
Nunez becomes angry but they calm him and he reluctantly submits to their way
of life because returning to the outside world is impossible. Nunez is assigned
to work for a villager named Yacob, and becomes attracted to Yacob’s youngest
daughter, Medina-saroté. Nunez and Medina-saroté soon fall in love with one
another, and having won her confidence, Nunez slowly starts trying to explain
sight to her. Medina-saroté, however, simply dismisses it as his imagination.
When Nunez asks for her hand in marriage he is turned down by the village
elders on account of his “unstable” obsession with “sight”. The village doctor
suggests that Nunez’s eyes be removed, claiming that they are diseased and are
affecting his brain. Nunez reluctantly consents to the operation because of his
love for Medina-saroté. But at sunrise on the day of the operation, while all
the villagers are asleep, Nunez, the failed King of the Blind, sets off for the
mountains hoping to find a passage to the outside world and escape the valley.
— Sight is one of the greatest blessings that we enjoy. Since we are able to
see from our birth we may not appreciate its value. Today’s Gospel tells us how
Jesus, by healing a deaf and mute man, fulfills Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy, “The
eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” (Fr.
Bobby Jose). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
11) 
Helen Keller and Annie
Sullivan: We all know Helen Keller, whose story we read or watched in
the play or movie The Miracle Worker. Helen wrote in her
autobiography the key experience in her life: “The most important day I
remember in all my life is the one in which my teacher, Annie Mansfield
Sullivan, came to me. I stretched out my hand as I supposed it to be my mother.
But someone took it, and I was caught up and held close in the arms of someone
who had come to reveal all things to me, and more than all else to love me.”
Annie Sullivan did give the child enormous love, but she also gave her firm
and, at times, violent discipline. Annie’s combination of very tender and warm
love and very stern and uncompromising discipline touched this child deeply and
made her into a human being and a very great one at that. Even a cynical soul
like Mark Twain, who got to know Helen Keller, reckoned her as one of the most
interesting figures in the nineteenth century, because she had conquered her
own physical limitations to become a beautiful and noble lady. — In today’s
Gospel, we see Jesus dealing with the man who was deaf and dumb, and we can
receive many insights for our own life from contemplating the scene. (William
Bausch in Telling Stories, Compelling Stories; quoted by Fr. Botelho). Fr.
Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12) Miraculous transformation: A working man was
strongly drawn towards a beautiful vase he saw in a stall down in the town
market. He bought the vase and brought it home. The vase was so beautiful that
it made his front room look drab, dull, and indeed plain ugly. So. he got
bright paints and transformed the whole house. He got colorful curtains to
match the paint, a brightly patterned carpet, and he even stripped down and
varnished the furniture. Because of the beauty of the vase the whole room was
transformed. — When Jesus enters my heart, the areas in need of attention
become, oh, so obvious. Holiness consists in discovering that I am a much
bigger sinner than I ever thought I was! The closer I come to God the more
obvious the contrast! When Jesus comes to our lives, His touch, and His
presence make all the difference! (Jack McArdle in More stories for Preachers
and Teachers; quoted by Fr. Botelho). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
13) The Buzzard, the Bat, and the Bumblebee: If
you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the
top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner.
The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run
of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even
attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no
top. The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature
in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or
flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt,
painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw
itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash. A bumblebee, if
dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken
out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to
find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where
none exists, until it completely destroys itself. — In many ways, we are like
the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our
problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up!
That’s the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look
up. (Sermons.com). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
14) Joshua Bell’s violin performance in a subway station: On
January 12, 2007, at 7:12 AM, The Washington Post conducted an
experiment you might have heard about. The experiment involved Joshua Bell, one
of the world’s greatest violinists who performed for almost all the world’s
orchestras. He was commissioned to play his $ 4,000,000 Stradivarius violin in
a subway station in Washington, DC. So he dressed like a street musician
looking for tips and sat in the subway station playing for 43 minutes. The
Washington Post had a hidden camera to video the entire event. Out of
the 1097 people who passed by him, seven stopped to listen! He received $32.17
in tips, not counting $20 he received from one person who recognized him. — The
story is an excellent illustration of what James tells us in the second reading
and what Jesus teaches us by healing a deaf man. (Fr. Joe Robinson; from Guiding
Light). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
15) “I visualize where I want to be.” During a
recent interview, American basketball star, Michael Jordan was asked to explain
the reasons for his undaunting optimism and perseverance. He replied candidly,
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around
and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it. I
visualize where I want to be, what kind of player I want to become. I know
exactly where I want to go and I focus on getting there.” — In today’s first
reading, Isaiah’s prophetic message offers his original audience a similar
Jordan-like optimism and willingness to persevere. The people had run into a
wall, as it were, and Isaiah was offering advice on how to scale it. (Sanchez
files). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
16) “I’ve always thought our Lord Jesus was a bit of a
liberal.” With regard to the proper Christian understanding of law and
regulations: “Ernst Käsemann (Jesus Means Freedom) tells the delightful
story of a Church in Holland in a year which had seen rising tides and
collapsing dikes. One particularly bad weekend, it was necessary for the town
mayor to ask the pastor of the local Reformed Church to bring all of his people
out to help repair the dikes on Sunday morning or else they might lose the
entire town. The pastor called the Church elders together who discussed the
matter and concluded that they had been commanded to keep the Sabbath holy, so
if they perished it was God’s will, but they would not cancel services. The
pastor then mentioned Jesus’ violation of the Sabbath law, hoping it might
stimulate some further thought. To which one old elder says ‘Pastor, I have
never before ventured to say this publicly, but I’ve always thought our Lord
Jesus was a bit of a liberal.” (http://www.preachingpeace.org). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
17) Found at a Church door: “May the door of
this Church be wide enough to receive all who hunger for love, all who are
lonely for fellowship. May it welcome all who have cares to unburden, thanks to
express, hopes to nurture. May the doors of this Church be narrow enough to
shut out pettiness and pride, envy, and enmity. May this sanctuary welcome all
who seek serenity, renewal, and truth; may it be, for all of us, the gateway to
a richer and more meaningful life.” (Dr. Murray Watson). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
18) What brought about the sudden change? During
World War II, there was in Poland a brilliant and Popular pianist, named
Marta Korwin-Rhodes. As a matter of fact, she was in Warsaw when the city
was bombarded. The devastation to both life and property was so horrible, that
the brave and noble musician decided to stay and help the wounded in crowded
hospitals instead of fleeing to safely. One night as Marta was walking through
the wards, she heard a soldier sobbing loudly and pathetically. Going over to
his side, she watched helplessly as his heart-rending cries literally broke her
heart. What was she to do? And how was she to console such a disconsolate
person? Suddenly she looked at her hands, and a most interesting thought
crossed her mind. “If these hands can produce harmony from the keys of a piano,
then surely God can use them to comfort and reassure a person in extreme pain.”
Instantly she bent down and gently placed her hand on his forehead and
earnestly prayed: “O God, help this man, for he is in pain and misery. Give him
your comfort and peace in this moment of trial.” To her stunned disbelief, the
man’s sobbing stopped, and he soon fell into a peaceful sleep.
(James V. in “Your Words, O Lord, Are Spirit, and They Are Life; quoted by Fr.
Botelho). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
19) Crippled hearts— handicaps of the
Normal: One day while listening to a talk given by Jean Vanier
(Founder of L’Arche) I learnt a great lesson. It was a disturbing one, but
I am glad I learnt it. Until that day I thought I had no
handicaps. I had two good hands, two good feet, two good ears, and
so on. In other words, I was what is considered ‘normal’. But in
listening to Vanier I discovered I too had handicaps – of a different kind. The
Gospel concerns the cure of a man who was deaf and had a speech
impediment. In other words, a handicapped man. If, because the man
was handicapped, we might think that the miracle has little relevance for
us, we would be mistaken. The man’s handicaps were physical. But
there are other handicaps besides the physical ones. In truth all of us are
handicapped in one way or another. The fact that our handicaps are not visible
as those of the man in the Gospel doesn’t make them less real. The greatest
handicap of all, however is that of a crippled heart. A paraplegic
observed: “Living as a cripple in a wheelchair allows you to see more clearly
the crippled hearts of some people whose bodies are whole and whose minds are
sound.” (Flor McCarthy in New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by
Fr. Botelho) Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
20) The eyes of the blind…. Opened: Back in
the 1940’s the newspapers carried the story of a boy who was born blind. He was
a lively and imaginative child, full of interest in everything around him.
Unfortunately, since he could not see the world in which he lived, he could
only guess what things were like from their shape and texture as he felt it or
their sound as he heard it. When they were too far away to be felt or smelt or
listened to, he would have to guess at what they looked like. Then his parents
asked a certain eye surgeon whether an operation could remedy the blindness of
their cheerful but sightless son. The doctor said he thought it was now
possible to perform surgery that would make him able finally to see. On the day
scheduled for the operation, his folks drove the lad to the hospital in the
family car. The father and mother hoped the doctor was right. Still, they were
torn by the inner, unexpressed question, “What if the operation fails?” Maybe
their little son had the same inner fear, but his strongest emotion that day
was a joyful hope. In the operating room the surgeon set deftly about his work.
Then he bandaged the child’s eyes until they healed. Finally, the crucial day
of the “unveiling” came. The doctor sat the boy by a window that looked out on
the hospital parking lot and the green landscaped lawn beyond. He unrolled the
bandage down to the gauze pads and set it on the table. Then he took the pads
carefully off the closed eyes. Finally, he said, “Now, open your eyes.” The
little boy opened his eyes and looked straight ahead of him. He blinked a
couple of times but said nothing. Those seconds were like years to those
present, and the father and mother were almost frantic. Then a smile spread
across the lad’s face. “There’s the car I came in,” he exclaimed. “I know it! And
there’s a tree. Oh, it’s beautiful! It’s beautiful!”– “The eyes of the blind
had been opened.”(Isaiah 35:5. Today’s first reading). Do we who have always
seen God’s trees and His other wonderful creatures really appreciate the
beautiful things He has given us for our delight? (Father Robert F. McNamara)
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
21) Welcome change of society’s attitude: Society’s
attitudes regarding its physically and/or mentally impaired members have
evolved considerably through the centuries. Each generation, motivated by an
ever-growing sensitivity and respect for another’s differences, has coined new
words for referencing these special people among us. Mental retardation, for
example, has been replaced by the term, mentally challenged. Those
with physical limitations, such as deafness or blindness are now described
as hearing or visually challenged. Children with learning
disabilities are no longer called dumb, slow or stupid; they are appreciated
as having special needs. At times, and in the interest of what has
come to be known as “political correctness”, some of this newly devised
vocabulary appears to be extreme, as for instance, when diminutive people are
referred to as vertically challenged and those with receding
hairlines are described as follicly challenged! For the most part
however, although discrimination still exists and must be dealt with whenever
it arises, contemporary society is learning to value people for who they are
and what they can do rather than devalue them for what they are not and what
they cannot do. In large measure, this lesson has been taught to us by those
who have struggled against the worst obstacles. (Sanchez Files). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
22) Challenge to change our attitudes to the
disabled: Helen Keller (1880-1968), who overcame blindness, deafness,
and muteness once wrote: “They took away what should have been my eyes, but I
remembered Milton’s Paradise. They took away what should have been my ears;
Beethoven came and wiped away my tears. They took away what should have been my
tongue; but I had talked with God when I was young. He would not let them take
away my soul; possessing that I still possess the whole!” A mother of a
brain-injured child offers a similar lesson: “We would have called our
daughter’s handicap the greatest tragedy of our lives, if it were not for the
fact that through it we came to know God much better. Words cannot express our
initial disappointment when our daughter failed to develop normally. However,
she enriched our lives and we found strength in God. As we struggled, our Faith
deepened, and we knew a peace that we had never before experienced.” — The
insightful testimony of those two women invites us to consider our own
attitudes toward the handicapped, impaired, or otherwise challenged members of
the human family. The readings for today’s liturgy do likewise. (Sanchez
Files). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
22) Are you Christ? Cardinal Sin, as told in the
homily of Bishop Bacani, tells the story of a blind vendor selling some candies
and other items on a sidewalk during the Christmas season. As people were
rushing, her “bilao” (bamboo tray) was bumped. She tried to grope for
her wares. Nobody seemed to mind her as they hurried past her. Then a man
stopped and then stooped to pick up her things and returned them to her in
her bilao. She asked the kind gentleman, “Are you Christ?” — Yes,
this good gentleman, for this blind woman, was Christ. There are many
opportunities given to us by which we are faced with people who need help, but
how often do we respond? Let us be more vigilant for those opportunities and
allow Christ to reach out, through us, to others in need by the love we show.
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
23) Jesus “sighed”. One day a little boy came home from school and he looked rather sad. His mother said, “Honey, is everything all right?” He said, “Well, I guess so. But, Billy came to school today and told the class that his daddy had died. They just buried his daddy yesterday, mama.” Then he said, “Mama, Billy was so upset about his daddy dying that he just cried and cried.” His mother said, “Well, what did you do?” He said, “I just laid my head on my desk and cried with him!” That is the kind of heart that Jesus had, and that is the kind of heart that we need! In the healing of the deaf man the Scripture tells us that after looking toward Heaven, Jesus “sighed”. This word means “to groan”. The deaf man could not hear the sigh, but he could see Jesus when He did it and it spoke volume to him. The sigh said “I care about you and what you are going through!” (SNB Files) Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
