Fr Paul reads from Mark’s Gospel (7: 31-37), in which a deaf man with a speech impediment is brought to Jesus for healing.

Jesus takes a round about way from Sidon to the lake via the Decapolis region. As we hear, Jesus is going around doing all things well and by doing this it means the coming of God is in the world. In other words, Jesus is the sacrament of God. In Jesus, God is active in the world bringing peace, healing and joy.

When the people meet Jesus, they experience God.

Fr Paul says the touching of the ears and the tongue in the healing we hear about in this Gospel shows the intimacy God wants with us. We are also challenged to remember that we, too, need from time to time, to be involved, physically and totally, in helping others.

For our reflection today, Fr Paul invites us to ponder, ‘How do I help others around me at this time in my life?’

For Ash Wednesday Mass times see the slide at the end of the Gospel Reflection