Carmelite homily for Friday, February 14, 2020 – Lectionary 333 (Mark 7:31-37)
Today we have a man with a speech impediment being brought to Jesus and Jesus touches his ears and touches his tongue and says, “Ephphatha; be opened!” How long did this man have this impediment? Is it a good thing? Yes! It’s a good thing! Because without this impediment this man would never have met Jesus. Without this impediment he would not have had this good thing happen. Without this impediment he wouldn’t have gone out and told everyone and become an evangelist. Saint John of the Cross writes, “See that you are not saddened by the adversities of this world; for you do not see the good that they bring.” I think that’s what’s happening in today’s Gospel.