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'
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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/).
