WEEKEND CATHOLIC LITURGY

In this week's Gospel reading from Mark, Jesus cures a deaf and mute man.  It is recorded that He did it by putting his finger in the man's ears and putting his own spit on his finger, touched the man's tongue.  The man was immediately able to hear and speak. 

Did Jesus have to do that finger and spit business?  I don't think so.  He could have said 'zap' and it would have been done.  So why did He do it?  He had taken the man away by himself.  No one else could see them.  There was no one to impress with these gestures.

I think it was symbolic for us that there was an outward sign.  All of the sacraments that we have in the Church are outward signs of what is happening.  Baptism has the pouring of water; Communion the taking of bread and wine; Marriage the rings; Last Rites the anointing with oil.  It's the way He does things - always with an outward sign. 

And why an outward sign?  These sacraments are not magic.  We humans need to see, hear and feel.
We need to see the doorway which these sacraments are - a portal to eternity.
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