Open to Hear, Ready to Proclaim
February 14, 2025 - Friday, Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop
Mark 7:31-37
Hearing and speaking—two things we take for granted. But in Scripture, deafness and silence often symbolize something deeper: a spiritual inability to hear God’s voice and share His message.
The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel experienced this firsthand. Isaiah’s mission was to preach to people who would refuse to listen (Isaiah 6:10-11). Ezekiel, at one point, was struck mute by God, unable to speak a word of correction to Israel (Ezekiel 3:26). Their silence was a sign of judgment—God allowing people to suffer the consequences of ignoring Him.
But the story doesn’t end in silence.
Jesus arrives in the Decapolis, a region where He had once healed a man possessed by demons (Mark 5:1-20). That man was told to go and proclaim what Jesus had done for him—and he did. Now, in today’s Gospel, people bring another man to Jesus, one who is deaf and can barely speak. Could it be that the former demoniac helped spread the word, leading to this moment?
The way Jesus heals this man is striking. He takes him aside, touches his ears and tongue, and speaks a powerful word: “Ephphatha” (Be opened!). Immediately, the man can hear and speak freely.
This moment has a deeper meaning. In the early Church, the "Ephphatha" ritual was part of baptism. The priest would touch the candidate’s ears and lips, just as Jesus did, praying that they would be open to hear the Gospel and proclaim it with their lips. Because if we can’t hear God’s Word, how can we speak it? If we don’t listen to Jesus, how can we share His message?
The prophets once warned of deafness and silence as a sign of judgment, but Isaiah also foretold a day of healing:
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” (Isaiah 35:5-6)
That day arrived with Jesus. He is the One who "has done all things well" (Mark 7:37), the One who brings a new creation, restoring what was broken and opening what was closed.