I've worn hearing aids now for about six years it isn't that I'm completely deaf it's simply that with them I hear much more clearly and I have to ask people to repeat themselves less frequently I encourage all of you to have your hearing checked you don't know what your missing our readings today ask us if our ears are really open to hear the word of God I find it fascinating that in the miracle Jesus performs in Mark's gospel today he chooses to use the phrase be open in order to heal the deaf man he could have used any number of other words but he chose the words be open in many ways Jesus is telling us that when we are closed we too do not know what we are missing in our first reading from the prophet Isaiah we're told to be strong and not to fear that God can do great things in us even when we are frightened in our second reading from the letter of James James we are challenged to show no partiality to treat everyone especially the poor and Those whom we do not like with an openness that is from our God Our Gospel today has Jesus working hard to heal the deaf man Jesus uses the materials at hand to cure encouraging all of us to realize that we all have all of the grace that we need to make a difference in this world especially by engaging with those who may be different or those to whom we have been closed off to whom we have been deaf as those around Jesus Proclaim he has done all things well we too can hear those same things said of us especially here at Our Lady of the highways Parish if and only if we are open and so I encourage all of us be open to often we are closed to how God wants to work in our lives too often we are closed to those who don't look like us or sound like us too often we are closed to the challenge of the Gospel to hear more and speak more more about the good news to share more about the gospel especially in our families especially in our homes I am excited for you as you're purchasing a new church here to handle the expansion of this Faith Community however I will be even more excited if you also expand the experience of Jesus in your homes and in your families making them more and more places that are open to God's word finally be open and get your hearing checked especially to the older men here today your wives are tired of repeating themselves