Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I greet you today as Fr. Scott is on his pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey. Please keep the pilgrims in your prayers so they may have a blessed time in the Lord.
 
In today’s gospel, Jesus encounters a deaf man with a speech impediment. The people around him beg Jesus to lay His hands on him. Jesus takes the man aside, away from the crowd, and performs a healing that is both physical and symbolic. He touches the man’s ears and tongue and with the words “Ephphatha,” meaning “Be opened,” the man’s ears are opened, his tongue is loosened, and he speaks clearly.
 
This miracle is an excellent example of how faith can allow us to see God and hear His voice. The man in the story was physically deaf and unable to speak, but his condition represents a spiritual reality many of us experience. Without faith, we can be deaf to God’s voice and blind to His presence. We might hear the world's noise but miss God's gentle whisper. We might see the physical world around us but fail to perceive the spiritual reality that lies beyond it.
 
When Jesus says, “Be opened,” He is restoring physical senses and calling us to open the ears of our hearts and the eyes of our souls. Faith is the key that unlocks this openness. Through faith, we recognize God’s presence in our daily lives, see His hand in our challenges, and understand the deeper truths beyond what our physical senses can perceive.
 
Faith is not just about hearing God's voice but also about understanding and responding to His message. Just as the man in the Gospel had his ears opened, faith opens our spiritual ears to hear God’s voice. This hearing isn’t just about physical sound; it’s about understanding and responding to what Jesus says.
 
Heavenly Father speaks to us in many ways—through the Sacraments, Scripture, teachings of the Church, circumstances of our lives, and the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. 
 
The people in the Gospel brought the deaf man to Jesus because they believed that Jesus could heal him. Their faith was strong, active and persistent. In the same way, our faith should lead us to Jesus, trusting that He will open our ears to hear His guidance, love, and truth.
 
Living with this openness makes us more aware of how God works in our lives and those around us. Like the people in today’s Gospel, let us draw ourselves and others closer to Jesus through our faith in Him. When we live with faith and openness, we can see the Lord and hear His voice at every moment. 
 
Until next Sunday, take care, keep praying, stay healthy!
 
In Christ,
Fr. Fabian Han