Daily Gospel Reflection for February 14, 2025

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Virginia Pillars

Today's Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

This account of Jesus healing the deaf man with a speech impediment makes me think of my four siblings with hearing loss. For most of their lives, they have strained to hear in a muffled world with this invisible disability. It has taught me to face them when I talk so they can read my lips. Still, any conversation in a crowded room frustrated us both because my voice blended with the surrounding noise into an indistinguishable babble. They could hear better if we went away from the crowd and concentrated on our two-person chat. My attention to their needs helped me show that I cared about them.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus took the deaf man away from the crowd. I believe Jesus also showed the man His concern for him as an individual. He healed him with His touch. The man could now hear and speak and be understood. I can imagine the deaf man’s joy and delight. He could communicate and interact with people instead of the isolation I think he must have felt. Jesus instructed the people to keep the miracle secret. Instead, the people proclaimed it. Could I keep such a miracle to myself? I doubt it.  I would want to tell everyone I met.

This leads me to think about my deafness. Do I listen for and hear God as I go about my day? The world has many distractions that attempt to hijack my awareness of God around me. I need quiet time every day to listen to and hear Jesus. When I do, my eyes are opened to see the miracles around me.

Ponder:

Am I letting the noises of my world drown out the voice of Jesus or do I carve out a quiet time to hear Him?

Pray:

Jesus, I need Your healing touch in all areas of my life. I ask for the grace to desire to hear You in everything I do and to see Your miracles in my daily life.  

Copyright 2025 Virginia Pillars

Virginia Pillars, author of Broken Brain, Fortified Faith: Lessons of Hope Through a Child’s Mental Illness, winner of the 2017 Selah Award and CWG SOA, strives to bring God’s hope to mental health by speaking events and as a NAMI volunteer. She contributed to Sharing Your Catholic Faith, Divine Interventions, Whispers in the Pew, and themighty.com. Virginia blogs at www.virginiapillars.com