Our Lady of Sorrows
    info@oladyofsorrows.org
    956-686-0251
    • Home
    • News
      • Weekly Bulletin
    • Homilies
      • Msgr. Gustavo Barrera
      • Dcn. Ray Thomas
      • Dcn. Johnny Gonzalez
      • Dcn. Crawford Higgins
    • About Us
      • Office Directory
      • Worship & Liturgy Schedule
      • Our Pastor
      • Photo Gallery
    • Donate
    • Sacraments
      • Baptism
      • Matrimony
      • CCD
      • RCIA
    • Ministries & Organizations
      • Adoration
      • Altar & Rosary Society
      • Altar Servers
      • Asamblea de Oracion de Matrimonios (AOM)
      • Catholic Daughters of the Americas
      • Homebound Ministry
      • JCDA
      • Choir
      • Knights of Columbus
      • Legion of Mary
      • Readers of the Word (Lectors)
      • Serra Club
      • Star of Hope
    • Faith & Spirituality Groups
      • Bereavement Support
      • Centering Prayer Group
    • Become a Parishioner
    • Funeral Information
    • Quinceañera Information
    • OLS YouTube Channel
    • School
    • Diocese of Brownsville
    • Contact Us

    23 Sunday, Cycle B

    9/9/2018

     
    Mark 7:31-37
    ​
    A group of people brought the deaf man to Jesus and begged Him to lay his hand on him—a group effort.   Bringing folks to Jesus is the vocation of every Christian.
     
    Naturally we have to trust people.  We can usually tell when someone wants to help us.  Yet, in an atmosphere of so many lies, fake news, cheating—we tend to be skeptical.  Perhaps the deaf man was skeptical at the beginning but he surrendered to the moment.  Notice that Jesus put his finer into the man’s ears and spitting touched the man’s tongue.  Pretty intimate actions from a complete stranger.  Yet, because the deaf man trusted, he came out the winner.   He certainly made up for lost time.  The man would not stop talking, mostly about what Jesus had done for him.  The folks who witnessed the miracle were also boisterous in proclaiming praises about Jesus.  We have a tendency to forget the miracles in our life, while we remember what we think were un-answered prayers.  The disappointments stick out in our mind more than when the hand of God has healed us.  If we reminisce there are countless encounters of God’s grace that has carried us through dark moments in our life.  Have we given witness to the mercy of God?  Did we talk to others about how God intervened when all seemed lost?  Maybe we were embarrassed or felt that no one would believe us.  God does not need our advertisement; but He deserves our gratitude.  Gratitude can be expressed in giving witness of God’s kindness to us.  When people are at death’s door—at the hospital, at home, in an accident—through intercessory prayer, through the Sacrament of Anointing, the Eucharist—a person can regain their strength and come back to life.  Desperation can cause us to draw into ourselves—to not trust. 
     
    Deafness can come in many forms.  The world of silence is only imaginary for the majority of us.  However, for some, deafness is a reality—a physical limitation.  Sign language, surgery, lip reading have all aided in being about to communicate with the deaf.  Yet, we can only appreciate deafness from a distance.  Temporary loss of hearing caused by loud noises, or infections or an obstruction can help us to better understand the world of silence.  We read about people like Helen Keller, Beethoven or the deaf man in the Gospel and wonder how they felt.  But we can never walk in their shoes. 
     
    Consider that there are none so deaf as those who will not hear.  Lots of folks have selective hearing.  A deliberate choice not to hear can be sinful, especially when we choose not to hear the cry of the poor.  The poor do not have to be people on the street.  They can be our relatives in the next room, our spouse, our neighbor.  “I’m lonely, I’m sick, I need you.”  We can choose to listen or to be deaf.  The voice of Jesus resonates through the ages: “Ephphatha!” “Be opened!”  Unless we are opened we are not going to hear—means being opened to the grace of the moment.  Be opened to what the other person has to say, even if we disagree.  We’ve all heard the expression, “Sounds like two deaf people talking to each other.”  Shouting will never help.  We raise our voice when we are angry or when we think that someone is not listening.  Changes can occur when we begin to listen to voice within.  God is always trying to speak to us.  Turning off the distractions, trying to pay attention will help us to be opened. 
     
    The Lord does not give up on us.  We should not give up on each other.  Time to listen to the beauty all around us.  Be opened. 


    Comments are closed.
      Picture
      Msgr. Gustavo Barrera,
      ​celebrated his first Holy Mass as pastor on September 15, 2007, the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows. With his enthusiasm and spiritual guidance, OLS continues to serve our Catholic family in a way that challenges us to grow as an evangelizing community.

      Archives

      January 2023
      December 2022
      November 2022
      October 2022
      September 2022
      August 2022
      July 2022
      June 2022
      May 2022
      April 2022
      March 2022
      February 2022
      January 2022
      November 2020
      October 2020
      September 2020
      August 2020
      July 2020
      June 2020
      May 2020
      April 2020
      March 2020
      February 2020
      January 2020
      December 2019
      November 2019
      October 2019
      September 2019
      July 2019
      June 2019
      May 2019
      April 2019
      March 2019
      February 2019
      January 2019
      December 2018
      November 2018
      October 2018
      September 2018
      August 2018
      July 2018
      June 2018
      May 2018
      April 2018
      March 2018
      February 2018
      January 2018
      December 2017
      November 2017
      October 2017
      September 2017
      August 2017
      June 2017
      May 2017
      April 2017
      March 2017
      February 2017
      January 2017
      December 2016
      November 2016
      October 2016
      September 2016
      August 2016
      July 2016
      June 2016
      May 2016
      April 2016
      March 2016
      February 2016
      January 2016
      December 2015
      November 2015
      October 2015
      September 2015
      August 2015
      July 2015
      June 2015
      May 2015
      April 2015
      March 2015

      Msgr. Gustavo Barrera, Pastor.

      Categories

      All

      RSS Feed

    About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Office Directory
    • Stewardship
    • Pastor
    • Our History
    Sacraments
    • Baptism
    • First Reconciliation
    • First Communion
    • Confirmation
    • Marriage
    • Anointing of the Sick
    Parish Life
    1. Become a Parishioner
    2. Bulletin & Newsletters
    3. Planning Center Log-in​
    Worship and Liturgy
    • Daily Readings
    • Liturgy of Hours
    • Mass & Reconciliation
    • Eucharistic Adoration
    Faith Formation
    • CCD
    • RCIA​
    Links & Resources
    • CDOB
    • USCCB
    • Vatican: Holy See
    • American Catholic
    More
    • Homilies
    • Online Giving
    • OLS School
    • OLS on YouTube
    Our Lady of Sorrows Parish
    1108 W Hackberry Ave.
    McAllen, Texas 78501-4370
    Telephone
    : (956) 686-0251
    Picture
    Picture

    Website Development by The Parish Solutions Company
    Our Lady of Sorrow Image Copyright Cromo NB permission to use by CNB Basevi.
    Back to top