The other day, I saw two children talking: – It’s too bad! said the first, I did not know! Why didn’t you tell me? I would have come too, you should have come get me. Why didn’t you take me with you? Couldn’t you take me to see him? – But, I didn’t think about it, said the other, embarrassed: – Yes, but still, you could have thought about it! He was really angry and very sad. When I got home, I said to myself: – These two children remind me of a gospel story and I red again the end of chapter 7 from the Gospel of Mark. This is the story that we are going to tell you about today. But first, here is the question of the day: Who brought a disabled man to Jesus?

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Full text of this story :

HE IS ALL ALONE IN FRONT OF JESUS?

Why are all these children running to get there first? Where are they going? To a party? To a wedding? No! They have heard Jesus was coming. They want to see him, to hear him, and to witness the miracles he does. They want to be in the front row. Young people, parents, old people, everyone was following, no one wants to miss his coming. Those who know sick people and disabled people brought them with them. How sad it is to see so many people suffering gathered here! But Jesus has arrived; he is telling them about the love of God. We don’t hear a noise, everyone is listening. When he is finished, Jesus would lay his hands on each sick person and would heal them all. What a happiness! Just imagine! The lames… They are throwing their canes away and straightened up on their legs, they are running, jumping. The blinds are shouting for joy as they are admiring the sky, the children, the nature. The mutes are crying out: – Glory to God! Thank you Lord Jesus, now I can talk, I can sing, I can scream! There is a lot of noise, of joy, it’s a huge celebration; all these people’s life has completely been changed. And what about those who brought the sicks, the disabled persons? Can you imagine how happy they are? Some people were saying: – We did really well bringing our blind son, he is healed now. Others were saying: – We also brought our neighbor, she could not walk anymore and now she keeps coming and going raising her arms to the sky. I’m really happy for her. In every city, every village where Jesus has arrived, the life of children and adults is devastated. After traveling to the north of the country, Jesus returned to the Lake of Galilee. On his way, someone brought a man to him; he didn’t look sick, he did not have any wound, he was not coughing or he wasn’t limping either. No, but he’s deaf. When you talk to him, he can hear nothing, he doesn’t not understand what we are trying to tell him. When he tries to talk, the others don’t understand. Everything is complicated for him, for his family and for his friends. We are rejoicing, we are laughing, we are singing, discussing, crying and he cannot be part of this. He is cut off from others, continually in silence. And besides his sadness, he is sometimes laughed at. But now, here he is in front of Jesus. – Lord, can you lay your hands on him? asked the person who brought him here. He is deaf and he speaks with great difficulty so we don’t understand anything. Please lay your hands on him so that he can hear. Jesus took the deaf man with him and walked away from the crowd so that they can be in the quiet. This deaf man is living a special moment because he is all alone with Jesus, the Son of God. he can see him. Jesus is very close to him. Can you imagine what he could be thinking of at that moment? – Jesus has left everyone else just to take care of me! Who am I, for him to be interested in me? Jesus wasn’t speaking. He didn’t say a word to him but he used a language that this man could understand. He put his fingers in his ears! Then he put some saliva on his finger and touched her tongue. The ears, the tongue… what was this man thinking? Then, Jesus looked up to the sky. Did he want him to understand that it was through? God’s intervention that he was going to heal him? Then he deeply sighed and said: – Open up! Immediately, this man’s ears popped open. He heard perfectly well. The song of the birds, the wind in the trees, the noise of the crowd over there in the distance. At the same time, its tongue was loosed. He was speaking. He was speaking like everyone, he was speaking perfectly! Can you imagine the joy of this man, he was amazed, his life was going to be completely changed, finally he could hear, speak, tell, discuss, exchange, understand, learn, he did all these things in one instant. Not only he was rejoicing but all the people who heard about the news were impressed. – Jesus has done all things well! They said. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak! Glory to God! And him who brought this man to Jesus… What a delight for him too!

1, 2 3, 4 AND YOU AND ME! Let’s take a look at our question. He asked you who brought this deaf man and mute to Jesus. Have you found out? … No! … Not really! Well! Well done, me neither! This part of the Gospel does not tell us who He was. A friend, a neighbor, a cousin? We do not know. But what we do understand is that he was right to do so, because it is somewhat thanks to him that the deaf and mute was healed. He brought him to Jesus and asked Jesus to heal him. And if he hadn’t do that, what would have happened? Maybe no one would have done it and this man would not have been cured. It cheers us up, talking to our friends, neighbors about Jesus. Even people we meet and therefore, pray for them. You can also let them know about our program “1,2,3 STORY TIME”. So that they will be able to will find out who Jesus is and what he can do for them.

4, 3, 2, 1 AND WE PARENTS! Children are sensitive to the suffering of the others, they often take to heart the difficult situations of their friends, their family. They speak about Jesus in a simple and direct way, and many people were brought to faith through their testimony. Even sometimes they are the ones who open the doors for us to share what Jesus did in our life. How can we support them, help them? By listening to them, advising them, giving them simple and adapted tools, small booklets, magazines, CDs, drawings, bibles for children they can give to their friends and also by praying with them