Apparently, it’s Birthday weekend. On September 8th, the Church celebrated the birthday of the Blessed Mother. That same day, I had the pleasure of joining family as we gathered to celebrate my wife Karen’s Grandmother’s 95th Birthday, and later that night, I joined together with friends to celebrate the 50th Birthday of a dear friend! Wow… Where does the time go?
Twenty-one years ago today, my wife Karen and I were up this way with our two-year old daughter Michelle celebrating my Dad’s 59th Birthday. Michelle picked out the perfect Mickey Mouse candle for the cake, as we all agreed that we couldn’t come up with 59 candles! My parents had just moved to Madison, after living almost twenty years in SE Huntsville. Mom worked here at St. John’s and Dad worked at a place on University Dr. That Saturday night, Dad told me that he and Mom were truly blessed to be here, and that everything worked out perfectly to get them here! We had dinner, ate cake and spent the evening enjoying ourselves. The next day, we left for home, which at the time was in Montgomery. Mom and Dad waved goodbye from their driveway, and we all exchanged “I love you’s” from the rolled down windows of the car. Dad is no longer with us, but he would have been 80 years old today (Sept. 9th).
Even further back, thirty years to be exact, I was a Seminarian studying for the Diocese of Birmingham. I spent the Summer of 1988 assigned at Good Shepherd Catholic Church. My Pastor, Fr. Pat O’Donoghue, invited me to preach one Sunday in June. It was my first “semi-official” homily. The Gospel that day was the one where Jesus and his Disciples were out on the stormy sea. Jesus had walked out on to the waves, and he invited Peter to walk out with him. Peter stepped out of the boat and on to the rough water, and took several steps towards the Lord, before becoming afraid. He began to sink, and he reached out for the Lord’s hand for help! I remember recounting the story of a family trip to the Gulf. My Dad laid down the money for a 1/2 day deep sea fishing excursion on our own boat! It was sunny, warm and the Gulf was as smooth as glass! We caught a lot of fish, and made many memories that day! The excursion was so successful, that on our next time down to the Gulf, we all wanted to go again… To re-live the fun! Dad booked the boat, and when we got up that morning to head to the Marina, lets just say it was cloudy and breezy. Dad confidently responded to any hints of doubt… “I paid a lot of money for this boat… We’re goin’ fishin’!” We were on time, and my Dad and the Capt. discussed the weather and made the exchange. It was time to go! In our attempt to re-live that magic from that previous sunny day, my brother and I climbed up to the viewing stand… That little third deck of the boat… So just like the last time, we could get a good view of the deep blue sea ahead of us. Mom, my sister and my grandmother were more realistic as they took solace inside the small cabin to avoid the light rain that began to fall. Well, it quickly became obvious to us that the sea, and the sky above, were more grey than blue. The water was more of a roller coaster this time, and we quickly felt the movement of each swell. We scurried down the ladder, and joined the rest in the cabin, where the whole family was sea sick before we even got out of the inlet. It was going to be a long day!
Where was Dad, you ask? Right next to the Capt. of course. They were just talking away, and enjoying the ride. My Dad’s favorite book was Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea, and he took every opportunity to let us know that THIS WAS WHAT FISHING WAS ALL ABOUT! He was the first to cast his line, and I remember him calling us out of the cabin to join him. There was much fear on our faces, but it was not about losing our lives, it was about losing our breakfast! He insisted that it would be OK, and I can only recall from my own perspective, the decision to simply step out and give it a go… After all, Dad paid a lot of money for that boat!
Today, our Lord accepts the request of a deaf person with a speech impediment wanting to be healed. What the deaf man received was God’s grace, and we witnessed a call to openness.
Compared to other witnesses, this is a different style of miracle… Matter of fact, it’s almost uncomfortable. “[Jesus] put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned.” He then utters a phrase we’ve never heard of, Ephphatha, which means “be open!” Let’s be honest, Jesus usually just says, “be healed,” or “rise,” and things just happen, but watching this miracle must have been challenging to witness. The Scripture Scholar would remind us that Jesus is communicating with a deaf person in hopes that we, the witness, would be the ones to hear the message. He places his finger the way he did to reassure the deaf person who wanted healing that he was indeed asking for an openness of ear and speech. After all, he cannot hear, so this physical sign is one that prepares him for the moment. How can we communicate with a world who cannot hear, but has shown a desire to want God’s grace?
Jesus groaned because that is the way this person would have sounded to the onlooker, showing all around him that he truly becomes part of the people he seeks to heal, maybe even willing to take on their struggle and pain, so as to take it away. How are we seeking to truly understand and take on another’s struggle and even their pain, to help them in their healing?
Finally, yet BEFORE the deaf person can hear, he utters the phrase “Ephphatha,” so WE MIGHT HEAR and understand. Remember, our Lord heals so that WE might HEAR and understand, helping us to better SPEAK the truth! How are we similar in our own witnessing of God’s love? Do we serve so that others might hear and understand the Gospel? Do speak in ways that help others know and speak the Truth?
By the way, a prayer entitled The Ephphatha is spoken at ever Baptism. The Priest or Deacon prays the prayer after the waters Baptism, the anointing with Chrism, and the presentation of the white garment and baptismal candle. They touch the infant’s ears and lips and just like the Lord in today’s Gospel, they quietly pray: “The Lord 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 the father.”
I’ll go ahead and admit that invoking my own father’s memory today is quite intentional. This is his birthday. He left us too early, and not a day goes by where I don’t think about him and his antics, especially the ones that involve fishing in 12-15 ft. swells just because that’s why we were there. I’ll also go ahead and connect the obvious…
For you who need God’s healing touch this day, come out and be open to the possibilities of the grace bestowed upon you by the Lord above… “May he soon touch your heart and your lives to heal your pain, and open your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the father!”
For ALL of us who are called to love and serve the Lord, in the service of others... I’m not sure if God the Father would say it in the same way that my father said it, but this boat we’re on, and this life that we journey through together, it’s very valuable and worth every penny and every effort. So, disciples, even if you’re feeling a bit queasy about things these days, come on out and lets fish!
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