“Thus says the LORD: ‘Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God; he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared
. . . . Streams will burst forth in the desert;
the burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.’” Is 35:4-7a
Isaiah is saying that, if I believe in the God of Israel, in our God, my eyes will be opened, my ears will be cleared and I will be experiencing good things. Why? Because I know that I am not alone in whatever is happening.
And, as the Second Reading says, when I am made “poor in the world” (in the possessions that can be washed away), I can “be rich in faith and an heir of the kingdom” (When what I think I value most is in jeopardy, I am reminded that my true faith is IN GOD.). Remembering this gives me a sense of peace in the midst of the storm.
It is only when we turn to Jesus for help that we begin to see clearly and trust more in God than in ourselves or in the pleasures provided by the things we think we can’t live without. Let us take time during our own trying times of the recent past, the present and the soon-to-be future to aee where we were or could have been, are or could be like the people who brought the deaf man to Jesus for help. Who are those around us in need of Jesus’ healing? And who are the ones around us who are the Jesus’ of today, the ones who in Jesus’ name are mirroring His personal involvement in their healings? The best we can offer ourselves and others in times of need, is this. It is more valuable than the also needed material support. It is a renewed belief in God and a trust that “God is here”.
“Jesus went into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.” Mark 7:31-32
Let us not forget to help the needy people around us to sense God’s presence in the midst of their everyday lives. What is the best way for you to do that? It may be less through speaking about God than through living with a heart centered in God. It is often communicated more through deepening one’s own trust and longing for God. When God becomes the focus of one’s life, others sense it and share in the peace and joy of the God’s presence.
Sister Loretta
