Vatican City, 6 September 2015 (VIS) –
The Gospel account of the deaf-mute, which shows how Jesus restores
the full communication of the person with God and neighbour, was the
theme of Pope Francis' reflection during this morning's Angelus
audience.
The Holy Father explained to the
thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square at midday that
the miracle takes place in the area of Decapolis, in pagan territory,
and therefore the deaf-mute brought before Jesus is transformed into
a symbol of the non-believer who completes a journey towards faith.
“Indeed, his deafness expresses the inability to listen and to
understand not only the words of man, but also the Word of God. And
St. Paul reminds us that 'faith comes from hearing, and hearing
through the word of Christ'”.
The first thing Jesus does is to take
the man far from the crowd: “He does not wish to publicise the
gesture He is about to perform, nor does He want His word to be
submerged in the din of voices and the chatter of those around. The
Word of God that Christ communicates to us requires silence so as to
be received as the Word that heals, reconciles and re-establishes
communication”.
Jesus then touches the ears and the
tongue of the man to restore, through touch, the communication that
had been blocked. But the miracle is “a gift that comes from on
high, that Jesus implores from the Father; this is why He lifts His
eyes to the heavens and commands, 'Be opened'. And the deaf man's
ears open, the knot in his tongue is untied and he begins to speak
correctly”.
This passage teaches us that “God is
not closed in on Himself, but instead opens up to and communicates
with humanity. In His immense mercy, He overcomes the abyss of the
infinite difference between Him and us, and comes towards us. In
order to communicate with humanity, God becomes man. It is not enough
for Him to speak to us through the law and the prophets; He makes
Himself present in the person of His Son, the Word made flesh. Jesus
is the great 'bridge-builder' who constructs in Himself the great
bridge of full communion with the Father”.
“But this Gospel also speaks to us
about ourselves”, emphasised the Pope. “Often we are caught up
and closed in on ourselves, and we create many inaccessible and
inhospitable islands. Even the most elementary human relationships at
times create situations incapable of mutual openness; the closed
couple, the closed family, the closed group, the closed parish, the
closed nation … and this is not of God. This is ours, it is our
sin”.
“However, at the origin of our
Christian life, in baptism, precisely this gesture and this word of
Jesus are present: 'Ephthatha!', 'Be opened!'. And the miracle was
performed: we were cured of the deafness of selfishness and the
muteness of closure and sin, and we become part of the great family
of the Church. We are able to hear God Who speaks to us and to
communicate His Word to those who have never heard it, or have
forgotten it, burying it under the thorns of the worries and deceits
of the world”.
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