“They presented to him a deaf-mute and asked him to lay his hands on him”. (Mk. 7:31-37)

Mark is the only Gospel that presents the healing of this man.

There is something important in this story that cannot be overlooked. Jesus begins his journey in the region of Sidon and arrives at the Decapolis, on the west bank of the Jordan, where He meets the deaf-mute. These regions have one thing in common: they are both pagan territories. Yes, Jesus has come primarily for the lost sheep of Israel, but his compassion knows no bounds. His miraculous love transforms the lives of the pious, but also of the marginalized – tax collectors, Samaritans, Gentiles, and even the rejected Romans!

Lord Jesus, I am deaf when I do not hear the needs of others, when I do not seek to understand their point of view. I am mute when I do not utter words full of mercy but of criticism. Free me from what prevents me from listening, speaking and attending to others according to the evangelical criteria that You offer me.