15 February 2019 - glad cries of deliverance

Today's Readings

(Audio)

When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden
at the breezy time of the day,
the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God
among the trees of the garden.

What are we hiding from God? What are we unwilling to bring into his presence? See how quickly doubt becomes fear. Once we make the serpent's doubt in the creator or own we begin to suffer all the consequences of a life not properly ordered to God.

Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness (CCC 397).

But what if, as is in fact the case, the LORD wanted to extend healing and forgiveness? Adam and Eve hid themselves making themselves unable to receive it. Doubt and fear do sometimes cause us to sin. But what are we afraid to bring before the LORD in confession? What are we afraid to tell him, although he knows it already?

The more we hide from God and don't admit fault the harder it will be for us to hear the truth about God's goodness and the less authentically we'll be able to speak ourselves.

And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him

It is only by grace that we come to confess our sins. It is not something we do so to put ourselves right with God. It is something God does to put us right with him. Since this is so he can heal even the parts of our heart that don't want to approach him and don't want to confess.

He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

Once Jesus heals us we will know it because where before our mouths were filled with excuses now they are filled with praise.

They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
"He has done all things well. 
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

Let us trust in the one who made us very good and who is even now making all things new.

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.