The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to reach out to people in need and be a voice for justice and compassion in the community and organizations that serve others.
Speak justice and truth
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah proclaims Israel’s deliverance, urging that they ‘Be strong, do not fear!’.
* [35:1–10] This chapter contains a number of themes similar to those in Deutero-Isaiah (chaps. 40–55), for example, the blossoming of the wilderness (vv. 1–2; cf. 41:18–19), which is now well-irrigated (v. 7; cf. 43:19–20); sight to the blind (vv. 5–6; cf. 42:7, 16); a highway in the wilderness (v. 8; cf. 41:3); and the return of the redeemed/ransomed to Zion (vv. 9–10; cf. 51:11). Nevertheless, it forms a unit with chap. 34 (see note on 34:1–35:10) and reflects, along with that chapter, themes found in chaps. 1–33.1
Psalm 146 is praise for God’s Help.
* [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal human beings (Ps 146:3–4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Ps 146:5–9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter.2
The reading from the Letter of James expresses a warning against partiality.
* [2:1–13] In the Christian community there must be no discrimination or favoritism based on status or wealth (Jas 2:2–4; cf. Mt 5:3; 11:5; 23:6; 1 Cor 1:27–29). Divine favor rather consists in God’s election and promises (Jas 2:5). The rich who oppress the poor blaspheme the name of Christ (Jas 2:6–7). By violating one law of love of neighbor, they offend against the whole law (Jas 2:8–11). On the other hand, conscious awareness of the final judgment helps the faithful to fulfill the whole law (Jas 2:12).3
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus cures a deaf man.
* [7:36] The more they proclaimed it: the same verb proclaim attributed here to the crowd in relation to the miracles of Jesus is elsewhere used in Mark for the preaching of the gospel on the part of Jesus, of his disciples, and of the Christian community (Mk 1:14; 13:10; 14:9). Implied in the action of the crowd is a recognition of the salvific mission of Jesus; see note on Mt 11:5–6.4
Mirielle Mason comments that the Gospel is a beautiful reminder that good things happen to us oftentimes due to the good will and prayers of those in our community. How amazing is it that this man was loved by those so much that they were willing to go to this length for him!
I found it interesting when I put myself in the position of the deaf man. I have just been taken to a new place to meet a strange man, and I probably understand little of what is going on around me. This stranger reaches out to touch me, and suddenly I can hear! I can speak! What love and trust I suddenly have in this man. Now, I like to imagine that perhaps some of us have had a moment like this in our faith journeys. A moment when our faith became ours, and we could truly see and feel the power of God in our world. For me, this happened the first time I went on an overnight retreat with some of my family members. I remember praying during a worship session, and viscerally feeling the presence of God. For the first time, God was real to me, instead of just something I was taught to believe in.5
Don Schwager quotes “The touch of the Lord,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).
"That power which may not be handled came down and clothed itself in members that may be touched, that the desperate may draw near to him, that in touching his humanity they may discern his divinity. For that speechless man the Lord healed with the fingers of his body. He put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue. At that moment with fingers that may be touched, he touched the Godhead that may not be touched. Immediately this loosed the string of his tongue (Mark 7:32-37), and opened the clogged doors of his ears. For the very architect of the body itself and artificer of all flesh had come personally to him, and with his gentle voice tenderly opened up his obstructed ears. Then his mouth which had been so closed up that it could not give birth to a word, gave birth to praise him who made its barrenness fruitful. The One who immediately had given to Adam speech without teaching, gave speech to him so that he could speak easily a language that is learned only with difficulty (Genesis 1:27-28). (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 10.3)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 7:31-37 comments that if we want to know what’s behind all of this, it can probably be summed up in one word: intimacy. Not the romantic or sentimental kind of intimacy, but the compassionate kind. It’s the intimacy of a God who loves his people, a God who humbles himself to enter into our wounded, muddled, messy lives so that he can offer his healing and salvation.
Jesus is very close to you as well. He knows you better even than you know yourself. He sees the ways in which you have become isolated—whether through sin or fear or anxiety or sickness. Just as he sighed when he touched the deaf man, Jesus knows your pain and wants to set you free. So he asks you to let down your guard and allow him to come into your heart and heal whatever is hurting.7
Friar Jude Winkler describes the vindication promised to the Israelites that even includes the renewal of Creation. Our partiality to the wealthy can be seen in how we recognize large charitable gifts in contrast to smaller amounts. Jesus chose the anawim, who depend entirely on Providence for their existence. Friar Jude suggests that Mark tells of Jesus' healing of a pagan to underline the failure of the people of Israel to accept Him.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that before conversion, we tend to think that God is out there. After transformation, God is not out there and we don’t look at reality. We look from reality. We’re in the middle of it now; we’re a part of it. This whole thing is what he calls the mystery of participation. Paul is obsessed by the idea that we’re all already participating in something. I’m not writing the story by myself. I’m a character inside of a story that is being written in cooperation with God and the rest of humanity. This changes everything about how we see our lives. If we’re writing the story on our own, we think we’ve got to write it right. We’ve got to be clever, we’ve got to figure it out. If anything goes wrong, we’ve only got ourselves to blame. That’s a terrible way to live, even though a high degree of Christians do. Fr. Richard would call that bad news.
The good news is a completely different experience of life. A participatory theology says, “I am being used, I am actively being chosen, I am being led.” It is not about joining a new denomination or having an ecstatic moment. After authentic conversion, you know that your life is not about you; you are about life! You’re an instance in this agony and ecstasy of God that is already happening inside you, and all you can do is say yes to it. That’s all. That’s conversion and it changes everything. This idea of participating in the goodness and continual unfolding of God’s creation reminds me of the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi that begins, “Make me a channel (or instrument) of your peace.” I remember being so delighted when I learned my last name, “Rohr,” is the German word for “conduit” or “pipe”! As I’ve often said, I’m just a mouth in the Body of Christ. That’s my only gift. Before talks I try to pray that God will get me out of the way so God’s message will get through.8
The images from Isaiah and Christ’s ministry that recognizes foreigners and is not partial to the privileged resonate with the Season of Creation efforts to hear the “cry of the earth” and the “cry of the poor”.
As we come near to another election, we need to recognize the partially that political policy contains and speak for truth and justice for the anawim of today who are ignored by our society.
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