Daily Inspiration

“Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. 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!”) And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” -Mark 7:31-37
 
The spiritual battle can sometimes be fierce and overwhelming, but it is more often subtle. We live in the age of the 24-hour news cycle, podcasts, music, video on demand, and any number of social media platforms. The enemy strikes at us in all that noise by pulling us into the crowd and deafening us to the call from the Lord.
 
But Jesus stands just at the edge of the crowd calling us away from the noise. He wishes to place His fingers in our ears and touch our tongues so we, too, may proclaim the Gospel to all we meet. But before receiving His touch, we must first choose to follow Christ and leave the crowd.
 
Lord Jesus, send down the Holy Spirit upon me to lead me away from the crowd. In that silence, open my ears so that I may hear, and give me the words so that I may speak your Truth. Amen.
 
Saint Valentine, pray for us.
 
Click on the link for the Daily Reading.
 
Jesus, I trust in you.