Baptismal Grace

Today’s Gospel Text: Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decap'olis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him. 33 And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; 34 and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Eph'phatha," that is, "Be opened." 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak." Mark 7:31-37

Reflection: The Catholic Church draws greatly from this healing action of Jesus in the celebration of the sacrament of Baptism. 

There is a special prayer after the conferring of baptism, as part of the rite, which is captioned as “Ephphetha or Prayer over Ears and Mouth”

In this rite, the celebrant is supposed to touch the ears and mouth of the child and utter this prayer: “The Lord Jesus 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.”  All: Amen.

Let us look at this action of baptism in the light of Jesus’ action in the gospel.

Jesus taking the man aside from the crowd is an action synonymous with the action of baptism, which is the setting aside of the person from among the crowd to be in the service of God.

That’s how we have the term Holy people, which all Christians are so, by virtue of their baptism, as scripture aptly describes it; "Once you were no people but now you are God's people" 1 Peter 2:10

Jesus by applying the spittle mixed with mud gives something of himself as with every sacrament. For apart from him no sacramental grace can exist because only in him was life and he alone can give life to us and he does it beautifully through the Sacraments, which he has instituted.

So in the Eucharist he offers us his Body and blood the driving force for every sacrament, hence most of the sacrament begin and end with the Eucharist; the source and summit of Christian life

We see the grace of the sacrament immediately at work in the person, who after having experienced it then begins to zealously proclaim Christ, by way of witness; speaking about him to the astonishment of the crowd.

Maybe many of us have received this sacramental grace of Baptism as infants and it is time for us to revive this grace by fervently asking the Lord to renew in us the grace of baptism.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, touch our ears to receive your word, and our mouth to proclaim your faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father. Amen.

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