Ephphatha!

27 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

Tags

Catholic, Curing of the Deaf/Mute, Ephphatha, Evangelization, Faith, Grace, Holy Saturday, Holy Spirit, Is 50:4-5, Mk 7:31-37, Prayer, RCIA

This Saturday morning, Easter Saturday, I will have the pleasure of leading eighteen adults and youths in the final rites before they are baptized and enter into full communion with the Church that evening at the Easter Vigil Mass. One of those rites is the Ephphatha Rite, the opening of the ears and mouth of the Elect to help them more clearly hear and proclaim the Word of God. The Rite is based on the curing of the deaf and mute man in Mark’s Gospel (Mk 7:31-37).

Saturday will be exactly eleven years to the day since I received this rite, the day I was baptized and became a Catholic Christian. A remembrance of this came back to me this morning as I read today’s first reading:

The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to answer the weary a word that will awaken them. Morning after morning he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do; the Lord God opened my ear, I did not refuse, did not turn away. – Is 50:4-5

More happened that day than my conversion becoming official. God truly opened my ears and my tongue as well as allowing the words to flow from my brain through my hand to pen or computer keys. I was never one to journal or record my thoughts on paper, in fact, I abhorred writing, was terrible with grammar and punctuation, and, most of all, didn’t dare say anything about a belief with which someone else might contend. Yet, within two weeks, I began writing articles on this blog as a means to evangelize and lead others to a better understanding of their faith in hopes that they would grow closer to Jesus. Now, eleven years and 300 blog posts later, I still feel the call.

On March 30, 2013, I would have said you were crazy if you’d prophesied the future and said I would retire, go back to school to become a certified Catholic Spiritual Mentor mentoring dozens of men, and eventually be re-employed as Director of Evangelization and Adult Faith Formation within our parish. Miracles happen, and, with God, all things are possible.

“Good and gracious God, by Your grace, You joined me with holy people who accompanied me on this journey ever since I chose to follow You. Through them, You taught me how to pray, how to converse with You, how to tell You what is on my heart, how to listen to Your promptings, and, especially, how to help others do the same so that their interior lives can flourish. You opened my ears and loosened my tongue so that others may hear Your Word. I give You thanks every day that when I heard Your calling, ‘I did not refuse, did not turn away.’ Amen.”

(Ephphatha! was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2024 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Our Father Who Art in Heaven…

08 Saturday Apr 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Faith, Prayer

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Faith, Holy Saturday, Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Prayer, RCIA, The Lord's Prayer, The Our Father

Holy Saturday began busily this morning as I arose and left home early for an 8:00 a.m. appointment with a gentleman at a local coffee shop/patisserie for our monthly spiritual mentoring discussion. I let him know ahead of time that I needed to wrap it up around 9:20 at the latest so that I could make it back to our parish church by 10:00 a.m., for the final rites and practice for tonights Easter Vigil Mass when I will be welcoming a friend, whom I am sponsoring, into the Catholic Church.

I arrived at the coffee shop early so that I could get my daily morning prayer and meditation in before my friend (let’s call him Wilbur) arrived. Fortunately for me, I was able to read the Gospel and quickly formed a resolution for the day because Wilbur also arrived early. He got a coffee, and I warmed up mine, and we set about talking about what’s happening in his faith life and how we can grow closer to our Lord. As always, it was a fruitful discussion.

Time always flies by quickly when we’re in deep conversation and when I checked the time it was 9:20 already. We began to wrap it up and then said our closing prayer and a Hail Mary with intentions for many out there who need help. As we stood and began to walk away from our table, a woman sitting directly behind Wilbur caught our attention and said with a smile, “It is so refreshing to see men praying together! You just made my day!” Then, a woman sitting alone at an adjacent table stood and said, with excitement in her eyes, “I agree! What a blessing to see men sharing their faith in public! Thank you!”

We were kind of caught by surprise. Wilbur was the first to reply and said that he was there receiving spiritual direction. Me, all I could think to say was, “Thank you! You just made our day by noticing and saying something to us.” We chatted for a while and I learned that the second woman was a minister at a small church. Eventually, conscious of the time and needing to get going, I asked if they would like to pray the Lord’s Prayer with us. They did, and we prayed, and, feeling sure that they were Protestant, I remembered to add, “For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen”, to our normal recitation of the Our Father.

Wilbur and I said our goodbyes and as I got in my truck I realized it was 9:40 already. I also knew, after having made this trip several times in the opposite direction, that it was at least a 30 minute drive considering all the traffic lights I had to pass through. I was compelled to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the encounter with those ladies, and, even though I would be late, a prayer of trust that I would not arrive at church excessively late.

I made the first three major intersections on green lights. I had a few miles then on the interstate where I blew past a state trooper at least five miles over the speed limit. As I checked my rearview mirror I was relieved that he didn’t pull out after me. After exiting the interstate I passed through the next four lights on green. The eighth traffic light had me stopped for about ten seconds and the ninth light was green as I passed through it. I walked into the church at 10:01.

The final rites this morning for the Elect coming into the Church tonight include the Presentation of the Lord’s Prayer, the Recitation of the Creed, and the Ephphetha Rite. After standing and praying the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father) together, we were asked to meditate on what it means to us.

As I repeated the prayer in my head, I thought, “‘…Hallowed be Thy Name…’ – I praise you and thank you, Lord, for that encounter with those ladies at the coffee shop, and for getting me to the church on time!”

I continued with, “‘…Thy will be done…’ – Lord, it was Your will that enabled that encounter, and Your will that caused all those traffic lights to be green.”

And I ended with, “‘…And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil…’ – Lord, thank You for the faith to trust in You and not be tempted to be anxious about things out of my control. Amen.”

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the many blessings You bestow on me and all Your faithful. Thank You for the courage to express my faith in public and for the graces received when noticed by others. Thank You for the gift of trust in You. And, thank You for the gift of Your Church and for all those who will be baptized and initiated into the Catholic Church tonight. Amen.”

(Our Father Who Are in Heaven… was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2023 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.