Below is a portion of this morning’s Lectio 365 devotional. I thought I’d share it with you.

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’(which means ‘Be opened!’).

Mark 7:31-34

Pope Emeritus Benedict says that, “this little word, “Ephphatha – Be opened,” sums up Christ’s entire mission.” He goes on to say, “Jesus became man so that man, made inwardly deaf and dumb by sin, would become able to hear the voice of God, the voice of love speaking to his heart, and learn to speak in the language of love, to communicate with God and with others.”

God, today I yield myself to Your voice of love speaking to my heart. Help me to learn to speak in the language of love, to communicate with You and with others.