This Sunday, we read that Jesus healed a deaf-mute man and that He ordered everyone
to not tell anyone about the miracle (Mark 7:31-37). Why would Jesus do such a thing?
Well, He knew that some folks might mistakenly think of Him as just some miraclewonder- worker. People might get the impression that His Kingdom was just another earthly reign – an impression that Jesus did not want to give, for He is the Only Savior of the world! And He wanted people to know that His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, is not bound by scandals, crises, politics, polls or economics – that He would touch
people’s hearts and bring them back into communion with God and put them on the path
to Life Eternal in Heaven.
Jesus’ miracles were not done to impress people and they were not the goal of His
ministry, but they were signs of His authority, confirmations of the Truth of His teachings, invitations to the faithful to trust, love, obey and follow Him. Later, Jesus would actually command His disciples to proclaim the Good News – His gift of Salvation wrought by His Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. He gave authority to the Apostles and He instructed them to administer the Sacraments and teach all that He had commanded them (Matthew 28:18-20), to call people to turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel, to turn away from self-centeredness and evil and turn to
selflessness and God’s love and mercy.
In fact, Jesus Christ calls each and every one of His disciples to proclaim the Good
News in word and deed. As Christians (Catholic and Protestant), we follow Jesus Christ.
As Catholic Christians, this includes laypersons, religious, deacons, priests, bishops,
cardinals and the pope, members of Jesus Christ’s Mystical Body on earth, the Church.
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit calls each of us in specific ways (ordained, single,
married) to be evangelists, messengers of His Gospel, to be signs of His love, mercy
and Truth. In doing so, God calls us to be open to His grace, His divine help.
“Be opened” Jesus says in the Gospel (Mark 7). What are we “open” to? Are we open
to being Jesus Christ’s disciples in all our words and deeds, open to His teachings
through His Scriptures, Catechism and Church? Are we open to being His evangelists,
beginning in our own families and among our friends, coworkers and classmates? Are
we open to living according to what we believe (versus believing according to how we
want to live)? Jesus calls us to be His living “miracles” in the world, witnesses to His
mercy, love, joy and Truth, to be His disciples who strive by His grace to be faithful to
our friendship with Him, for we belong to Him (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Each day,
God gives us His grace through prayer, His Church, Word and Sacraments, helping
us to renew our commitment to living for and following, in faith, hope and love, Our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
With peace and prayers in Christ,
Fr. William
Saint Clement Parish 