Word to the Wise
Friday, February 13, 2026 - Friday in the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19 and Mark 7:31-37]"He does all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." [Mark]
FEBRUARY 13 BL. JORDAN OF SAXONY, OP
These words are from the crowd that has just heard of Jesus' restoration of speech and hearing to a deaf-mute man. This incident offers three features. First of all, it is a demonstration of Jesus' power to heal. Secondly, Jesus' admonition to keep the incident quiet is futile: He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. In the Gospel According to Mark, true knowledge of Jesus would come with his death and resurrection, and not from being a wonderworker. And third, the evangelist is pointing to Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 35:6 concerning the "day of the Lord": Then the eyes of the blind shall see and the ears of the deaf be opened.
Each of the four gospels can be seen as a "portrait" of Jesus. The gospels of Matthew and Luke borrow a lot from the Gospel According to Mark, but have each their own "angle" on Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The Gospel According to John, written toward the end of the 1st century, 60-70 years after Jesus' earthly ministry, shows a very different approach that reflects considerable theological development. Catholic tradition requires that we read the New Testament as a whole to get the "big picture, " which should also include the light of the Old Testament, as today's gospel passage shows. The richness of God's word is a continual invitation to grow in our faith! AMEN
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