In our Gospel this Sunday, what touches me is Jesus’ invitation to the deaf person: “Ephphatha – be opened!” In this I hear a call to be open too.

And I want to be open – to people, experiences, the call of the Spirit, new learning and growth. When I think of openness, I think of being available, accessible, free, spacious. I think of approaching people without judgement or expectations. I want to convey a spirit of welcome, although I’ve also learned from experience that flinging wide the doors to my house or heart can’t be done without healthy boundaries too. So, ephphatha with boundaries, I guess.

I can be someone with an open attitude, although lately I’m just not feeling it. The fall is usually a time when I’m jumping back in to events and planning for the year. I’m usually ready for new ideas and excited about what’s ahead. This year, though, that excitement is muted. I feel kind of blah. Maybe it’s still the pandemic working on me. Why plan a bunch of stuff only to have to cancel it all? Why join groups and make connections when we don’t know if we’ll even be able to gather? And the thought of living life behind a screen again does not fill me with joy and excitement. The uncertainty of everything gives me a sense of futility, not openness.

I wonder what Jesus means by “be opened.” He’s kind of sending mixed signals. He offers the healing power of God to unblock a person’s limitations, but he also wants everyone to be quiet. It’s a little ironic. He opens a person’s ears and mouth, but then tells everyone to shut up about it. Be opened but closed. That seems like an unrealistic expectation, and people are just not going to keep that boundary. They see Jesus open the ears of the deaf, just like Isaiah prophesied, and they’re going to talk about it. And as for the formerly deaf man, Jesus just removed that which prevented him from hearing and speaking, from being part of relationships and community, so how can he not proclaim it? I mean, he just got his words! So, the more Jesus tells people to close their mouths about the miracle they witnessed, the more they open up about it. That seems fair. Maybe he doesn’t actually expect their silence after all.

What wisdom can we take from this? For one thing, at least for me, I need God to open me up. Now, be assured that if someone did what Jesus did, touched my ears and then put their spit-covered fingers on my tongue, I would freak out, pandemic or not. However, I do need the Spirit within me to move me toward openness. I can’t self-generate an open spirit, and it’s okay to feel shutdown. Life has that effect on me sometimes. It’s then when I need to cry it out and then turn to comforting words like Isaiah’s, “Be strong! Fear not! Here is your God . . . [who] comes to save you.” It also helps to talk through it. Opening up to other people brings healing and validation, and it shows me that I’m not the only one who isn’t feeling great these days.

I also hear a call in this to be aware of what God is doing in me. What limitations do I have that God is trying to open? I can certainly think of a few. And limitations are different from boundaries. Things like judgement, fear, or apathy inhibit connection and keep me small-minded and closed-hearted. Boundaries, though, help me to feel safe and allow me to be truly open to people and relationships. I need good discernment to distinguish between the two, and that comes from God as well.

Through all of this, God comes to save me – all of us. God shows us how to be open, and God is with us when we’re not. As we witness the healing, opening love of God, may we proclaim and proclaim and proclaim it.

By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP

Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a community-building spirituality ministry in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She’s a Sister of Divine Providence with a Masters in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. She directs retreats, meets with people for spiritual direction, and serves as the vocation director for her community. She also serves on the Coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International. She enjoys music, dancing, meaningful conversations, and this present moment.