Daily Retreat 02/09/07
2007 Feb 9 Fri
Gn 3: 1-8/ Ps 31(32): 1-2. 5. 6. 7/ Mk 7: 31-37
From today’s readings: “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made.... Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.... Ephphatha! - that is, ‘Be opened!’ ”
Ephphatha!
Some places mentioned in Scripture are quite obscure. Not many people could point out “district of the Decapolis” on a map of the holy land. This was a league of 10 rather insignificant non-Jewish cities in eastern Palestine. Not much reason for anyone to go there! Since Jesus generally confined His mission to the Jews (e.g., Matt 10:6, Mark 7:27), His brief excursions into pagan territory are remarkable. What did He do there, and why?
Christ’s presence among pagan peoples was personally purposeful and poignantly prophetic. Purposeful, because He brought the comfort of His presence (which caused the tongue of the mute to sing!) and thus already He was certainly sowing the seeds of stirring to faith among the Gentiles (the fruition of His work would be seen after Pentecost); prophetic, because His actions were meant to be reflected upon and interpreted in their fullest intent, viz., if even the pagan peasants of the Decapolis were open to the blessings of Christ’s presence, then surely no one is meant to be excluded from the Messianic joy of the Gospel!
His command shatters the deafening silence of our own complacency, pealing out to you and to me, “Ephphatha!”– “Be opened!” Let our ears and hearts be opened then to the Good News Christ set out to bring us this day, and then let our tongues sing His Gospel in gratitude!
Gn 3: 1-8/ Ps 31(32): 1-2. 5. 6. 7/ Mk 7: 31-37
From today’s readings: “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made.... Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.... Ephphatha! - that is, ‘Be opened!’ ”
Ephphatha!
Some places mentioned in Scripture are quite obscure. Not many people could point out “district of the Decapolis” on a map of the holy land. This was a league of 10 rather insignificant non-Jewish cities in eastern Palestine. Not much reason for anyone to go there! Since Jesus generally confined His mission to the Jews (e.g., Matt 10:6, Mark 7:27), His brief excursions into pagan territory are remarkable. What did He do there, and why?
Christ’s presence among pagan peoples was personally purposeful and poignantly prophetic. Purposeful, because He brought the comfort of His presence (which caused the tongue of the mute to sing!) and thus already He was certainly sowing the seeds of stirring to faith among the Gentiles (the fruition of His work would be seen after Pentecost); prophetic, because His actions were meant to be reflected upon and interpreted in their fullest intent, viz., if even the pagan peasants of the Decapolis were open to the blessings of Christ’s presence, then surely no one is meant to be excluded from the Messianic joy of the Gospel!
His command shatters the deafening silence of our own complacency, pealing out to you and to me, “Ephphatha!”– “Be opened!” Let our ears and hearts be opened then to the Good News Christ set out to bring us this day, and then let our tongues sing His Gospel in gratitude!
posted by FrPitstick | 2/06/2007
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