Ephphatha! Be Opened!

Voice over by Carol San San Lwin

1Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19, Psalm: 80, Mk 7:31-37

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Our world is filled with divisions: between peoples, within families, and even within our own hearts. We can feel isolated, unable to hear God’s voice or speak words of peace. Today’s readings offer a profound contrast between the tragic breaking apart of a kingdom and the miraculous healing touch of Christ, who alone can restore our unity and open us to grace.

In the First Book of Kings, we witness the dramatic, physical sign of a kingdom being torn apart. The prophet Ahijah takes his new cloak and tears it into twelve pieces, giving ten to Jeroboam with the words, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord… I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon.” This division is the direct consequence of infidelity, a heart turned from God. The once-united kingdom of David is fractured, a symbol of the spiritual fragmentation sin causes in our souls and our communities. We are left with the pieces of broken relationships, broken promises, and broken communion with God.

How different is the scene in the Gospel. People bring to Jesus a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. They beg Him to lay His hand upon him. Jesus takes the man aside, away from the crowd. He puts His fingers into the man’s ears, touches his tongue with saliva, looks up to heaven, groans, and says, “Ephphatha!”—that is, “Be opened!” Immediately, the man’s ears are opened, his tongue is released, and he speaks plainly.

Here, in this intimate, physical act, we see the divine remedy to the division of the first reading. Sin makes us deaf to God’s word and mute in praising Him. But Jesus, the Word made flesh, reaches into our isolation. His touch is personal. His healing is holistic—opening us first to hear the Father’s voice, so that we may then speak words of truth and love. The “Ephphatha” of Christ is the antidote to the division of sin.

This is the mission of the Church. As Pope Francis has said, “The Lord asks us above all to listen. Listening is the first step, but it requires having an open heart.” The Rite of Baptism includes an “Ephphatha” rite, where the priest touches the ears and mouth of the child, praying they may hear God’s word and profess the faith. This is our identity: we are the ones whose ears Christ has opened.

So, what does this mean for us? We must first allow Christ to touch the areas of our spiritual deafness. Where have we stopped listening—to His Word, to the cry of the poor, to the needs of our family? Let us pray, “Lord, Ephphatha! Open my ears!”

Then, we are called to be healers of division. We cannot mend the torn cloak of a kingdom, but we can, through Christ, mend torn relationships with forgiveness, seek unity in our families and parish, and become voices of reconciliation in a polarized world. As St. Francis of Assisi prayed, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

Today, let us bring our deafness and our divisions to the Lord. Let us hear His command, “Be opened!” And let us go forth, opened by His grace, to listen with compassion and to speak with courage the healing words of the Gospel. Amen.

May God bless you all!