Fr Gerard’s Front-Page Reflection

Living out our Baptismal Hope

“The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak, may he soon touch your ears to receive his message and your tongue to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the father. Amen.”

So goes the Ephphetha prayer in the rituals following the baptism.  The priest says it touching the baby’s ears and mouth. In doing so, he imitates Jesus’ actions in this weekend’s gospel. In imitating Christ, the priest also wishes for the outcome of those actions – proclamation.

Jesus is rather reticent about being known as a miracle worker. Is it because he doesn’t want to distract people from his message? Or perhaps his hour has not yet come? Nonetheless he performs the miracle and the very crowd broadcasts his wonder!

Baptism too looks forward in hope that our baptised will receive and integrate into their lives (listen with the heart) the message of Christ and then having been touched by it, the baptised will proclaim “the greatness of the Lord”.

I suspect most of us were baptised close to a century ago. Have your ears received his message and your tongue   proclaimed his faith? Perhaps they haven’t – I won’t presume it. The chance for our ears being opened to receive God’s word begin with a prayer: “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me!” It also begins by learning about the One to whom we pray – either through a daily reading of scripture or through programs like Alpha – beginning next month. Our parish strategic plan enables those of us who have experienced that encounter with God’s presence to be able to “proclaim the faith” in very concrete and doable ways. Are you involved in a ministry here and if not, what would you say holds you back? Jesus “loosens” (literally “unchains”) the tongue of the deaf man. May he unchain us from whatever quietens our witness – shyness, fear, laziness and the like.

See you in the week!  Fr. Francis