Be Open So That God Could Heal You. Mark 7: 31 - 37

31Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decap'olis.
32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him.
33And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue;
34and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Eph'phatha," that is, "Be opened."
35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
36And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.
37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."

One of the ministries of Jesus is healing. People are coming to Jesus because they wanted to be healed. Along with them, they also bring their friends so that they could also be healed by Jesus, Himself. But healing does not happen in a one way manner only: Jesus would ask those who wanted to be healed to do something for themselves so that the healing power of God would enter them. "Eph'phatha" means "Be opened." It is not a command but an invitation to be let Jesus heal the person. The person can refuse to be healed or accept Jesus as His healer. It is not a command but a personal choice to decide upon-- to believe or not to believe.

In our time, we cannot be healed without asking God first. We know that God already knew what we wanted even before we ask Him, but God always respects us as a person. He always give us freedom to choose for our own sake... "to be healed or not to be healed." It is by our will that he will respond to our sincerest desire. Our prayers are always heard by God; likewise, our innermost intention-- yes, our secret motives, too, is understood by God. Everyday is new chance for all of us to live a holy life. It is always our chance to respond to God's call: "to be open" so that we could hear Him talking to us and healing us deep within with His healing and comforting words.

Those who perish, perish by their own negligence.
St Ambrose

Today is also a Valentine's Day--a heart's day. This day is not only for all lovers but also for the 'beloved.' All of us are beloved by God. So let God enter into your love life so even if you don't have a partner today, God could still be a perfect 'valentine' for you to be with.