23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B - 8th September 2024  

There is much in this Sunday’s Gospel that we can relate to but one thing that strikes me is how our attitude to disability has changed over the years. Sadly in many cases it has only come about because people have had to fight for the rights of the disabled. In the past people were ashamed and/ or embarrassed by disability – as we also know from the Gospels. As with other things in life – what we don’t understand we fear, dismiss or lock away. Those of us who have been watching the Paralympics from Paris over the last couple of weeks can’t help but be inspired and amazed at what the athletes have achieved, despite not just their disabilities, but the difficulties of injuries, illness and lack of funding etc. 

 

In this week’s Gospel Jesus is perhaps showing us that we all have to welcome and accept people who are different from us. It’s amazing that when we do, we come to realise that there is actually little difference between us. What we also learn is that when we lack something we have the capability to compensate in different ways and with help and support we can do so much more than we can imagine. 

 

In Sunday’s Gospel we have a person, who for the Jews, is doubly afflicted – he’s a Gentile and he’s disabled. He is deaf and he has a speech impediment. When Jesus heals him he is not just able to hear and to speak but he speaks clearly. How does this relate to us? I have no definitive answers but I’m sure each of us can think of times when we have been deaf to what God, what others are trying to say to us – but we know better or we are too busy. There are times, too, when we don’t speak clearly – we are angry, upset, confused, biased, frustrated, impatient etc. and we take it out on others. 

 

Each of us will have our own interpretation of this and other scripture passages as the scripture speaks to us where we are at a particular time, in a particular space. Every time there is a new beginning in our lives we are aware that we do not know what each day, each week will bring, but we do know how we should meet both the known and the unknown – with love. We’re not asked or expected to always use the word ‘love’ but our words and our actions, and indeed our thoughts, must be ones of love. 

 

One sentence strikes me in particular and it is a reminder - ‘He took him aside in private, away from the crowd.’ Sometimes we are slow to do this when dealing with others – we say or do things in front of other people when perhaps it should have just been between the two of us. One-to-one relationships are so important in our lives, in our relationship with God, yes, but also with others. When with someone else let us try, like Jesus did, to make that person the only one who is important for those moments, minutes, hours. Can we show love to everyone? – yes we can by giving them our full attention. No-one said it would be easy but it is our duty and our responsibility to try. 

 

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