Saturday, April 9, 2005 Lenten Fast
The Martyr Eupsychios of Cappadocia
Kellia: Isaiah 35:3-10 Epistle: Hebrews 6:9-12 Gospel: St. Mark 7:31-37
St. Mark 7:31-37, especially vs. 34: "Then, looking up to heaven, [Jesus] sighed, and said to him,
'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.'" Ah, Beloved of the Lord, here's the question: "Will we allow Christ to open the
spiritual senses of our hearts? Will we obey Him?" Read here of a man who could neither hear nor use his ordinary
physical organs of speech. However, the man heard the command, "Ephphatha!," and "...he spoke plainly" (vs. 35). After
that, there was no silencing the man nor his friends. The voice of the Incarnate Lord of the Creation overturned the order
of nature by which the man was closed off. After his healing, the man and all present proclaimed widely "...He has done all
things well" (vs. 37).
Thus, we consider the spiritual senses, for we humans have two sets of every sensory organ. That is the teaching of the
Apostles and the Holy Fathers. As physical beings, humans have organs of sight, speech, and hearing which register
impressions of the physical world. In addition, all men have inward sensory organs, capacities of the heart. The Gospel
teaches that, in most people, these spiritual senses are largely potential, being closed or asleep, yet even those who, by the
accidents of life, are without physical sight or hearing, have these spiritual senses. At our supernatural birth, in Holy
Baptism, God commands these inner faculties to "Be Opened!" In the Baptismal Mystery the Christian takes "refuge under
the shelter of [God's] wings, "and the Priest asks God to heal and open these inner senses - "to open the eyes of his soul" -
so that with spiritual sight each of the Faithful might see the fullness of Truth. The Priest also prays for the awakening of
the spiritual ears, "Unto the hearing of faith."
Each time we come to the Mysteries of Christ and receive the Holy Gifts of His most wondrous Body and Blood, let us
also seek His gracious healing for our dumb spiritual senses. Even more, let us ask that He unify our spiritual and physical
senses, so that all our eyes and ears, the inward and the outward, may work together as one. In the words of St. Simeon
Metaphrastes, let us beg our Lord to put His hand upon us and "enlighten as one [our] five senses...."
Who has not encountered terrible seasons when the spiritual senses are closed off to God? The Prophet David knew such
inner silence and darkness: "And now, what is my patient endurance? Is it not the Lord? Yea, my hope is from Thee.
From all mine iniquities deliver me; Thou hast made me a reproach to the foolish. I was dumb and opened not my mouth,
for Thou hast made me. Take away from me Thy scourges..." (Ps. 39:10-13 LXX). Are the spiritual senses removed? Is
God not present? No! Trace the problem to our sin.
Definitely, our sin renders us spiritually blind, dumb, and speechless. Apparently, earlier in his life, the man whom the
Lord healed in the Decapolis had been able to speak and to hear physically, for customarily the Evangelists report when one
was born deaf or dumb and was then healed (Jn. 9:1). How did this closing off occur? Perhaps by demonic power, by his
own sins, as a result of the sins of others, or even from a physical accident. Whatever the cause, he was reduced to total
silence. But note: the Lord touched more than his physical organs of speech and hearing. Necessarily, Christ touched the
man's spiritual ears, for the results show that the unfortunate one heard his Creator (Mk. 7:34, 35). The Lord "enlightened
as one his five senses." Of course the man declared with both his tongues, "He has done all things well" (vs. 37).
Beloved, in repentance, let us cry out to God with the words of the Prophet David:
"...lo, my lips I shall not restrain; Lord, Thou knowest it. Thy righteousness have I not hid in my heart; Thy truth from the
great assemblage. But Thou, O Lord, remove not Thy compassions far from me; let Thy mercy and Thy truth continually
help me." (Ps. 39:12-15 LXX)
