What Do We Need to Hear from Jesus

I have a question: “What do you need to hear from Jesus today?” Some of us could answer immediately: "I want Jesus to tell me if my loved one will get better." For others, we’d want Jesus to tell us whether to look for another job or school. Or maybe it is the perennial question: “Jesus, how do I get my life back on track?”

We all experience times when we know we have things to decide or manage, but life has become so overwhelming that we either don’t have the energy to engage or don’t know where to start. This is when we need family and friends, like the Deaf man in Mark's Gospel. It says right in the beginning, “And the people brought to Jesus a deaf man with a speech impediment and begged Him to lay His hand on him.” Even if you don’t have someone to bring you to Jesus, we can always call on the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to approach Jesus with the faith of that man’s friends.

You know Jesus also speaks through people when we least expect it. Just this past week, I dropped in on a friend who’d had a total knee replacement to tell her I’d prayed for her at Mass. Mary was sitting with her son and told me about the experience and how glad she was to be home. When I asked her who her surgeon was, she told me it was the same one who had done her son’s surgery at Mass General Hospital. Her son, who is my age, couldn’t be happier that he had the surgery because he’s back to doing the things he likes to do, including golf.

This was unexpected music to my ears; for months, I’ve been dreading the thought of either an arthroscopic or surgery for a total knee replacement because it would put me on the sidelines of being a priest. But suddenly, there were two people telling me a surgeon they’d recommend and giving me a reason for hope. My whole perspective changed; I felt encouraged that there was a path forward.

Reason for Hope

Now imagine how many people, including our family members, friends and at times ourselves need to hear a reason for hope when it comes to Jesus’ healing and guiding power in our lives. But for this to happen we need from time to time, figuratively have our ears opened by Jesus.

Did you notice that Jesus took the man away from the crowd so that it was just the two of them? Jesus lovingly understands the unique needs of each person. Some of us need to have a private encounter with Jesus away from the watching eyes of others so that we are not self-conscious or distracted. Consider the times you’ve gone to pray alone or perhaps gone to spiritual direction or Confession and the priest is acting in the person of Christ.

A Eucharistic Encounter

But Jesus can also speak to us in large gatherings, with a particular message for each one of us, whether at Mass or at the Eucharistic Encounter in the Diocese of Fall River that I attended on September 7th.

Bishop Edgar da Cunha spoke of the Eucharist as a meeting, a meal, and a memorial. A time to encounter Jesus, a time to be nourished by Jesus, and a time to remember that He has redeemed us and lives in us through Holy Communion. We all know that, but we need to hear it again with open hearts and minds.

The guest speaker, Chris Stefanick, echoed the Bishop’s message in reminding us that because we have Jesus in the Eucharist, we can find the friendship, strength, and joy of knowing God has redeemed us.

Jesus Heals

Now, though Jesus performs physical healings most often it is our souls that need healing. The effects of original sin are real. Though we are redeemed we still face challenges to deal with the forces of evil that can echo in our minds and hearts. And, they can get so loud or omnipresent that it’s hard to perceive God’s presence in our lives and the world around us. This is why we need, among other things, to be together each Sunday in Mass, to hear or see the Word of God, as in Isaiah: “Thus says the Lord: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God…He comes to save you.”

And, to hear the words of Jesus to all of us as he said to that man, “Ephphatha!” –that is, “Be opened!” We need to hear the Word of Jesus to guide and encourage us. And, prepare us to meet, be nourished, and remember that Jesus has saved us and will lead us to Heaven each time we receive the Eucharist.

So, What do you need to hear from Jesus today? Whatever it is He is speaking to you right now and He wants each of us be open and listen to Him.

May God bless you and your families on this holy day…and how blessed are we to be in the Presence of Jesus!