This is a quote from a commentary on today's Gospel by Patricia Sanchez. Jesus took the deaf man aside and that in itself was healing as we are always helped by a personal encounter with Christ. How grateful we should be that He actually waits for us each day to come and just sit with Him who chooses to sit with us! Here is the quote: (the bold is mine as this is what struck me today).

"At times, however, our listening is not keen enough or humble enough to effect the needed transformation. In those times, we stand with the deaf man and beg Jesus to lay his hand on us. We allow him to open our ears to hear the Word as it speaks to every aspect of our lives. We listen as the truth of who we are is told; we listen to our sins, our selfishness, our greed, our apathy, our laziness. But we also listen as we are told that we are loved and cherished by a God who desires communion with us. We listen as we are told that our beloved Brother and Lord has died to secure our freedom and salvation.
[Patricia Sánchez holds a master’s degree in literature and religion of the Bible from a joint degree program at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in New York.]

Did I mention that when I was at the Villa Maria del Mar retreat-house in Santa Cruz I watched three dolphins playing in the Pacific each day? I often see them there but only in passing; these were there for the three days I was contemplating the ocean - a nice gift of the Lord as they are fun to watch and these swam very close to the shore!