Daily reflection _ He does all things well

HE DOES ALL THINGS WELL
The power of God is such, however, that even in the midst of division and hatred He can work His plan… 
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
Jesus loves using parables to teach a lesson. Today's first reading from the Old Testament is a parable, not in words but in action. Jeroboam is a minister in the service of Solomon. When, in the presence of Jeroboam, the prophet Ahijah tears his cloak into twelve pieces, he illustrates that Solomon's kingdom will be divided. Ten tribes will belong to the northern kingdom, while the southern kingdom will only have the tribe of Judah (which by David's time had incorporated the tribe of Simeon, thus accounting for all twelve tribes). From this point on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah go their separate ways, often in open hostility to one another. It is not a pretty picture.
The power of God is such, however, that even in the midst of division and hatred He can work His plan. By divine irony, God draws upon this situation to bring His Son into the world, born of the house of David and of the tribe of Judah. He sends His Son to reverse the division and separation, replacing the hatred with love. On the night before He dies, Jesus expresses the purpose of His mission and prays to our heavenly Father that all might be one.
The deaf man with the speech impediment, in today's Gospel, is a symbol of disunity. Unable to hear or to communicate properly, he is cut off from those around him and forced to live a solitary life. In His love and mercy, Jesus cures him. Jesus is also the one Who can establish unity among us, a unity whereby we speak and listen to each other with respect and concern.
Jesus expresses who God really is; He demonstrates both the beauty and goodness of God through His actions. When Jesus heals a man who is both deaf and a stutterer, He shows His considerateness for this man's predicament. Jesus takes him aside privately in order to remove him from the embarrassment of a noisy crowd. Putting His fingers into the man's ears and touching the man's tongue with His own spittle, Jesus physically identifies with this man's infirmity, awakening his faith.                                       
Immediately, the man's ears are opened, his tongue is released, and he begins speaking plainly! What, one may ask, is the significance of Jesus putting His fingers in the man's ears? St. Gregory the Great, from the sixth century, writes: "The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord puts His fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, He was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit." Jesus treats each of us with kindness and compassion and He calls us to treat one another the same way.
In the Responsorial Psalm we hear, "I am the Lord, your God: hear My voice" (Ps 81:11a, 9a). Our common origin in Christ is found in our liberation and redemption. During this time of reflection, ask yourself, "Have I taken for granted my independence and my freedom; my human progress and social welfare?" In the Eucharist, God gives us a share in the one bread and one cup, making us one in Christ. That oneness we all have with Christ must be expressed in our love and care for each other.