Dear friends in Christ

The Gospel of this Sunday narrates the cure of a deaf-mute. The Lord took him aside, and placed his fingers in his ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Afterwards Jesus prays that his ears and mouth be opened and he is cured and begins to speak clearly. The fingers often signify a powerful divine action, and saliva is thought to have a certain ability to heal wounds. Although it is the words of Christ that work the cure, he wishes, as on other occasions, to use visible, material objects which in some way were intended to express the more profound actions the sacraments were later going to work in souls. Already in the first centuries, and throughout many generations, the Church used, and continues to use, the same gestures of the Lord at the moment of Baptism. The prayer over the one baptised is

May the Lord Jesus, who made the deaf hear and the dumb speak, touch your ears to receive His Word and your mouth to proclaim His faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father

These things we will all do if we are attentive continually to promptings of the Holy Spirit who uses us to proclaim God’s Word and His praises.

This Monday evening, 7th September, is the first of three talks on the Catholic Faith. Please invite anyone you know who may be interested in learning more about the Catholic faith (with a view to becoming a Catholic in the future!) to come along to my three introductory talks at 8pm in the Parish Centre. Perhaps there is someone you know who could be a Catholic and shows a holy desire to get to know Christ better in and through His Church? Do be courageous and apostolic and invite them; they will be very welcome and, hopefully, will benefit from these evenings.

May God bless you all!

Msgr Kevin Hale