Mark 7: 31- 37

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Mark 7: 31- 37 (NRSV)

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.' 35And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37They were astounded beyond measure, saying, 'He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.'

Think

Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphaha" that is "Be opened"... Today is one of the last days of the Epiphany season.  According to the church calendar on Wednesday we begin our season of Lent and this is a time when we give up sweets, salts and fats to remind us that although we may be rich in somethings we are poor in spirit. But I've found that in recent years Lent has been a period of great change for me, one year it lead to the end of a serious relationship, another my sister got engaged, another I got engaged and I find lent perversely to be my favorite season of the year a "thin time", a time to be open to the changes which the Holy Spirit guides us towards year round, day in and day out but only very rarely do we allow ourselves to be open to them.  I find myself feeling like a deaf, blind and dumb man in my spiritual life some days I find myself   begrudgingly offering time to God, although I know that it is not my time to give but his.  I know that it is not my life to live but his and I know that it is only through him that my mind, heart and soul can be opened.  This is why I love lent.  Because it is a time when I and all the members of my church community come to the understanding that we are blind, deaf and dumb to God's call to us and we come to him asking for our eyes, ears and mouths to be opened in the hope of the resurrection. 

Pray

May this be a Holy lent, full of openings and new thin places.  Let my heart, eyes, mind, ears, soul and mouth be open to your love and your guidance O God.  Amen

Contemplate

15 minutes centering prayer