Reflection for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Ephphatha!" - that is, "Be opened!"

He said to him, “Ephphatha!”—that is, “Be opened!” And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.

We hear the word “Ephphatha” every time we baptize and welcome a new member into our Catholic church family.  Since most of us were baptized as infants, we don’t remember that.  This Sunday’s gospel reading reminds us all that we too are needing our ears to be opened to hear—to hear the birds singing and waves crashing, to hear the voices of family members and friends in need, and to hear the cries of the women and children in detention, in human trafficking, and all who are seeking refuge from oppression of any kind throughout the world.  With “new ears,” we are called, through our baptismal call to be bold in being a voice for the voiceless, to hear and speak the truth, to remove all the impediments that are in our heads and hearts that keep us from speaking.  We are called to speak plainly!

Sister Rose Kruppa, CDP