1ST READING
Adam and Eve succumbed to pride and arrogance. They wanted to know the difference between good and bad and were not willing to leave this to God alone. There is something of this sentiment in our own hearts and minds. We think that we are smart enough to have a say in such matters, but we are not. God has created us and it is His prerogative to decide upon issues of moral right and wrong.
Genesis 3:1-8
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 5 No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. 8 When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
P S A L M
Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
R: Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
1 Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. (R) 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the Lord,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. (R) 6 For this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress. Though deep waters overflow, they shall not reach him. (R) 7 You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round. (R)
GOSPEL
The deaf man’s healing speaks to us of our need to open our minds and hearts to the Gospel and receive the gift of salvation. In the words of Jesus, we need to tell ourselves “ephphatha” — to open our minds and hearts to His voice, to His truth. But there will beall sorts of other authorities and sources that will try to influence us as well. We need the Holy Spirit to help us choose well whom to listen to.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.
Mark 7:31-37
31 Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. 32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) 35 And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. 36 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. 37 They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
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