23rd Sun of Ordinary Time Year B Homily

1st Reading: Is 35:4-7

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 146:7-10

2nd Reading: Jas 2:1-5

Gospel: Mk 7:31-37

The rite of baptism states: "The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God." While saying these words the minister is told to touch the ears and mouth of the child being baptized with his thumb which helps to draw attention to the profound action that is taking place. This profound action draws itself from today's Gospel passage where Christ brought healing into a man's life who was in need by bringing healing to his ears and voice to his lips. This segment of the baptism is known as "ephpetha" which in English means " to be opened." Through this action the minister of baptism is pointing towards our need to have Christ give us the ability to hear, so that we in return can speak. The reception of baptism is to give new life to a person as they enter into the full reality of the Church. Through baptism we are given the ability to hear Christ and to respond to His voice with our words of praise.

In our Gospel Christ is not keeping His distance, but takes it upon Himself to enter into an intimate relationship with this man. With our senses we are able to keep our distance, but when we touch we must enter into an intimate relationship with another. We can smell and be far away or see and keep our distance, but in in order to touch we must come into contact with something. Christ came into contact with this man and through His intimate touch was able to bring healing into the man's life. From the intimate touch of Christ the man's ears were opened and speech was given unto His lips. This same exchange is given unto us when we allow the Sacraments of the Church to work within our lives. At the heart of all of the seven sacraments of the Church is Christ who desires to use these seven gifts to enter into an intimate relationship with each of us. "The Sacraments have been instituted as a special means through which we are to receive the grace merited to us by Christ."

Through Holy Orders the priest is able to bring the Sacraments to the people of God. The priest may be far from holy, but through his ordination is able to make the Sacraments manifest in the lives of many people. No matter what the life of the minister may be we can trust that they are valid because Christ is the one who operates through them. Christ is the person who desires to enter into an intimate relationship with all of us and therefore allows the Sacraments to touch all of our lives. Through the reception of the Sacraments we are able to allow Christ to enter into an intimate relationship with our lives by giving us the ability to hear his voice and be able to respond to the gift that has been given to our souls. The Seven Sacraments are able to give assistance to our souls on our journey towards Christ. "The soul is brought into spiritual life by baptism, it is strengthened by Confirmation, nourished by the Holy Eucharist, helped by Penance, helped at the hour of death by Anointing of the Sick, guided by God's ministers through Holy Orders, and is given a body in which to dwell by the Sacrament of Matrimony."

Saint Paul reveals in his Letter to the Romans that "Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ." Through the reception of each of the seven Sacraments we are being given the spiritual assistance inside of our lives to hear the word of Christ and thus feel the need to enter into the world bringing the word and testimony of Christ to all people whom we encounter. In our culture many voices exist which attempt to buffer out the voice of Christ, but we therefore must trust in the Sacraments all the more. The more that we make time to take advantage of the Sacraments of the Church, that have been given to us by Christ, the more we will be able head into the world hearing Christ's voice and giving the testimony of the Gospel to all people whom we encounter. Trust inside of the Sacraments will give aid to each us as we grow rich inside of our faith.

On this day may each of us be opened to the Sacraments and the many graces that they bring into our hearts and souls. May we trust that through Sacraments we can truly come into relationship with the divine and allow ourselves to be fully nourished by Christ. Through baptism we have been invited into this relationship because hearing has been given to our ears and voice have been given to our lips as we bring the Gospel into the world. As we continue to strive in this spiritual journey that has been given to us through the waters of baptism we must draw upon the other Sacraments of the Church. We come here to be nourished by Christ's Body and Blood, but when fail along the way we must continue to trust in Christ's infinite mercy. This mercy is found inside of the Sacrament of Reconciliation where we are brought back into union with Christ and His divine love. May we allow ourselves to be open to the intimate touch of Christ that comes into our lives today in the form of the Sacraments. May the Sacraments open our ears to hear the word of God and give voice to our lips as we allow our souls to praise the Lord.