杏MAP导航 at Angelus: Healing of the heart begins with listening
By Vatican News staff writer
which presents Jesus who heals a deaf man with a speech impediment, 杏MAP导航 Francis observed the many actions Jesus took in healing him: putting his finger into the man鈥檚 ears, touching his tong with saliva and looking up to heaven and then saying to him 鈥�Ephphatha鈥�, that is, 鈥淏e opened!鈥�. Perhaps, the 杏MAP导航 suggested, it was because the man鈥檚 condition of deafness had a special symbolic value and can say something to all of us, since we all have ears, but 鈥渧ery often we are not able to hear鈥�.
Healing Interior Deafness
The 杏MAP导航 described this as an 鈥渋nterior deafness鈥� that we can ask Jesus to heal today. And 鈥渢he healing of the heart begins with listening鈥�. He pointed out that the deafness of the heart is worse than physical deafness, because we can become impervious to everyone and everything in our haste and busyness, sometimes closing ourselves off to the Lord and our brothers and sisters. By listening and letting ourselves be touched by people鈥檚 lives we can learn to live and grow in faith.
Capacity to listen
The 杏MAP导航 asked us to reflect on how our capacity to listen is going and if we spend time with those are close to us. He noted that in family life in particular, we need to be aware if we tend to be the ones always doing the talking, repeating the same things, since we are in incapable of listening. 鈥淪tarting a dialogue often happens not through words but silence鈥�, he pointed out, and that requires patience to listen to others and about their challenges and hopes.
Silence and listening to the Lord
He said the same is true with the Lord, that while it is good to ask for his help always, 鈥渋s better that we first of all listen to him.鈥� We should ask ourselves here also if we remember to 鈥渓isten to the Lord鈥�, he added, and especially finding time to hear the words of the Gospel so that they my resound in us, as 鈥淛esus is the Word鈥�. By spending time hearing the Gospel 鈥渨e will find the secret for our spiritual health鈥�, he noted, saying, the 鈥渕edicine鈥� is: every day some silence and listening, fewer words and more Word of God.
鈥�Ephphatha, be opened!"
In conclusion, he prayed that we may hear Jesus鈥檚 words addressed to us also, 鈥�Ephphatha, be opened!鈥�, open to hearing His Word and healing our closed hearts from haste and impatience. And may Mary help us listen to her Son and to our brothers and sisters 鈥渨ith docile, patient and attentive hearts.鈥�
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