The year 2015 was definitely the most challenging year of my life. I had been pushed too far and I ended the year with a tired heart.

       But God has His ways of coming to my rescue just when I’m at my lowest point. I didn’t want to end my year with questions and prayers left unanswered.

      So I spent my year-end holiday in deep moments of silence and allowed God to speak to me. It was only during my time of reflection that I realized that I spent the whole year busy with too many things on my plate that I had forgotten to pause. I wanted to accomplish so many things my way that I neglected to slow down and listen to His directions. I felt like the deaf man in today’s Gospel. I also realized that I only needed to open my heart and give God space for prayer and solitude.

       If you’re tired and things are weighing you down, retreat. When you’re running on empty, gas up. Spend time in prayer and be open to His message and leading. Believe me, He will speak to you and it will give you the peace that you need in your heart. And just like the deaf man, you will be healed. Ruby Albino (r_jean07@yahoo.com)

Father, help me appreciate the pause. Help me ignore the momentary distractions so I can open myself to Your directions.

St. Scholastica, virgin, pray for us.

Sin is insidious and makes its way into any vacant corner it can find. It destroys covenants between God and His people. This is shown in the story of the Fall where the serpent’s temptation was passed on to the woman, and from her to the man.

1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really  tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 5 No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. 8 When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

R: Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

1 Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. (R) 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the Lord,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. (R) 6 For this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress. Though deep waters overflow, they shall not reach him. (R) 7 You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round. (R)

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Scholastica, the twin sister of St. Benedict. One night Scholastica sensed that she was about to die and prayed to God that her brother, Benedict, would stay with her. God sent a violent storm that forced Benedict and his companions to stay at the convent for the night. Such was Scholastica’s desire and God granted her prayer.

31 Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. 32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) 35 And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. 36 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. 37 They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Read the Bible in one year  1 Corinthians 5-8

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

Can you keep a secret? This is what we see developing in the Gospel of Mark — the Messianic secret. Many times in the Gospel, we hear Jesus ordering someone whom He has healed not to tell anyone about it. However, as Mark tells us, the more He orders them not to, the more they proclaim it. We do that, too, right? When secrets are entrusted to us, we can’t wait to tell someone about it even if we made a promise not to, right?

       One can read amazing stories of healing without getting too excited about them. But I think we should. Jesus comes to bring the Good News — the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear — this is exciting indeed. The Jewish nation understood that the Messiah would come and bring liberation — physical and spiritual. Jesus is the Messiah who came to set the captives free.

       The deaf man in the Gospel today went away from Jesus a changed man. He could now hear and speak properly. Imagine his life up to this point. He could see but not hear. He could not hear the sound of people’s voices, the chirping of the birds, the gentle breeze rustling through the leaves, the rain falling on the rooftops. Imagine how often he would try to talk and others could not understand.  Everything changed when he met Jesus. Isn’t it exciting?

       The words Jesus spoke, “ephphatha,” were Aramaic for “be opened.” They are the same words the priest or deacon prays over the baptized child — that they would be open to the Word of God in their lives. We, too, need to have these words addressed to us every now and then. Often our hearts and minds are closed to God’s voice of healing and freedom. Perhaps we are afraid of hearing Him. We allow ourselves to be opened to the voices of others and forget that it is the Lord who brings life and freedom into our lives. As we open our hearts to the Lord, we receive the grace and help that we need to live a life worthy of His calling. As we open ourselves to this grace, we are called to share with others what God has done for us. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

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Lord, open my heart to Your love. Let me hear Your voice that brings freedom and peace. Amen.