23rd Ordinary: September 7/8, 2024

So mild-mannered Fr. Mike Clary got you eased back into St. Mark’s Gospel last week – and here we will remain until the beginning of Advent – with just one more Sunday of St. John between now and then.

    Not wanting to jump back into preaching very quickly – I sought out a guest speaker for today. . 
    

    My name is Leo:   short for Lay-Leo - which means deaf in Greek – because that’s what I was:  completely deaf, deprived of so much that others take for granted.  

I could not hear the shouts of children at play, the singing of the birds, the sound of the wind in the trees. . . When was the last time you took the time to listen to such things??
    I could not hear words of comfort, encouragement, or advice.  And when was the last time you spoke these things to those you love?
    Few people try to communicate with the deaf.  They find us tedious.  Which make us feel terribly isolated.
    The fact that I was practically dumb, unable to speak –   added to my sense of deprivation and isolation.  I could not explain myself.  I could not express my feelings.  
Insensitive people laughed at my stammerings – as they often do at anyone who is different than them.
    I had no opportunity to contribute anything to the community.  Consequently, I felt useless and in the way.


    People even hesitated to touch me. Never underestimate what a reassuring hand on a shoulder or a pat on the back can do for a person.
 Having any disability marks you as different.  And when you’re different – people tend to be afraid of you.  And so they avoid you.  
They also often see a disability as a punishment from God – you, or one of your ancestors must have done something to tick God off - and the disability is pay back. . . or so they think.
    I was full of self-pity.  I craved compassion.  I was convinced there wasn’t a single person who understood or felt any type of emotion toward me.  
    That was until one day I heard of this man Jesus.  Even though he was a Jew, and I was a Gentile - that is a non-Jew – I wanted to see him and seek his help.
    What an experience I had!!  The first thing he did was take me aside from the crowd and gave me his undivided attention.
    For the first time in my life - I felt important in someone else’s eyes.  But it served a practical purpose too – it saved me from the curiosity of the gawkers in the crowd.
    Jesus did not speak to me as it would have been a waste of words.  Instead he touched me – he made me feel what I could not hear.  There was nothing rough or hurried about his touch.  It was tender, patient, and loving.  The type of touch I had longed for all of my life.

    Then he put his fingers into my ears – the man really does like making physical contact with those he loves. . . Then he put his finger into his mouth – took some of his spittle – and put it on my tongue.
    Next he raised his eyes to heaven to show me that it was all coming from God – this help that was coming my way.
    Then, with a great sigh he said:  be opened!  And suddenly my ears were opened and my speech was normal.  I was cured!  How amazing!

    Jesus told me not to broadcast what he had done for me – probably out of fear he would be overwhelmed by those who needed something.
    But I certainly could not be silent!  There was so much bottled up inside me after all those years of silence – that at first I talked non-stop!

    I could not pass someone on the street with saying - hello.  I could not remain silent in the presence of someone in pain if I felt a kind word would help.  I could not bear to see an injustice done without calling it out.
    But, I soon realized I was over-talking – and not listening.  In that way, I was NOT being completely open to people – because relationships are two-way – you have to both speak AND listen.  So I made it a point of trying to really listen to people, which meant that I had to stop talking.
    And so I listened – to the sounds of nature, to music, to laughter, to crying.


    But most of all – I listened to people’s stories - of their joys, their pains, the triumphs, their sorrows, their losses, their achievements – stories about their children and grandchildren.
    Did you know EVERYONE has a story inside of them just waiting to be told – if only someone cared enough just – to – LISTEN.
    I discovered some interesting things during those early months after my cure.
    I discovered that everybody has certain impediments that prevent them from making full use of the great gift of speech – shyness – insensitivity – apathy  –
    And everyone has impediments that keep them from hearing well:  prejudice, inattention, plain refusal to listen. . .
    Why am I telling you all of this??  It is to save you from the fate of those who have ears but cannot hear — and tongues but cannot speak.
  What I discovered from my experience is this:  the greatest tragedy is not to be born deaf or dumb – but to have ears and choose not to hear; and to have tongues and choose to fail to speak.
    Hearing and speech are such great gifts.  But without a heart that is able to feel compassion - we will never be able to use them well.  It is only with the heart that one can listen attentively, and it’s only with the heart that we can speak rightly.
    Jesus, the man who touched my ears and my tongue – also touched my heart.  It was that above all that made me new – made me whole - made me complete.   AND THAT was the real miracle.
    May hope is that you experience the same.  Let Jesus touch your heart and make you whole.  When you do – I promise you — it will be truly amazing

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