“Ephphatha – Be Opened!” Jesus Calls Us By Our Baptism To Be Open To God So We Can Share Our Faith With Others

One of the faculties I have been granted by my ordination into the permanent Diaconate is to baptize children.  I view it as one of the greatest blessings for which I have been gifted in service to the Lord.  To bring a child into the faith and, more importantly, into a personal relationship with God is a deeply spiritual time which touches my very heart and soul with humility and joy.

In our current baptismal ceremony, at the Ephphatha or prayer over ears and mouth, a deacon physically touches the ears and mouth of the child with his thumb.  This is similar to how Jesus touched the deaf and dumb man in St. Mark’s Gospel today.  While doing so, the deacon says:

“The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and dumb speak.  May He soon touch your ears to receive His word, and your mouth to proclaim His faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.”

 

It is at this time of invocation that the initiation sacrament calls the parents and godparents (on behalf of the child) to acknowledge the purpose for the child’s Baptism into the Catholic faith: Listen and Share the Gospel message.  It also verifies what the Prophet Isaiah said to the Israelites and us: “Be strong, fear not!  Here is your God, He comes with vindication; with divine recompense He comes to save you.”

St. James Letter further defines it by adding: “…show no partiality as you adhere to the faith…God chose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He promised to those who love Him.”

We are called by our Baptism to open our ears, heart, mind and soul to God’s message of love in our relationship with Him and all that He has created, as Jesus loves us.  In response, we need to fulfill our promise to God that we will share this message of love. 

In doing so, people will begin to understand the wonderful gift of life God has given us now and to live forever.  Let us not hesitate, but be open to all who want to learn and to those who need to hear.

Reading 1:  Isaiah 35: 4-7a
Reading 2:  James 2: 1-5
Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37