The daily Word of God
Friday, February 13th, 2026
Friday in the 5ᵗʰ Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 7:31-37 "He has done all things well."
First Reading: 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19
Jeroboam left Jerusalem,
and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.
The two were alone in the area,
and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.
Ahijah took off his new cloak,
tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:
"Take ten pieces for yourself;
the Lord, the God of Israel, says:
'I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon's grasp
and will give you ten of the tribes.
One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,
and of Jerusalem,
the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.'"
Israel went into rebellion against David's house to this day.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15
R./ I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the Lord, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt."
R./ I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels."
R./ I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand."
R./ I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
Gospel Reading: Mark 7:31-37
Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man's ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
"Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!")
And immediately the man's ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
"He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Be Opened
In fairy tales and magic tricks, we often hear words like “abracadabra” or “open sesame.” These are magic words used to reveal hidden treasures or open up secret paths. Jesus’ word, Ephphatha—which means “Be opened”—is something like that, but much, much deeper.
Ephphatha doesn’t give us access to the pirate treasure of an adventure story, nor does it open a shortcut to worldly success. But it does open us to treasures that matter far more: it gives us access to the voice of God, with His bottomless treasure of love, mercy, and truth. And by opening our lips, it tears down the fear of speaking out. It opens doors; it opens new ways of living. The Truth, which is Jesus Christ, opens us to the immense freedom of listening to the Word and following Him.
I’m sure we’ve all felt the urge at some point to just “turn a deaf ear.” Maybe it’s to tune out nonsense or criticism, or maybe to avoid painful truths we just don’t want to admit. And surely, we’ve also felt the fear of speaking up—fear of telling the truth, fear of defending someone against injustice, or simply fear of saying something true that might annoy someone.
We can easily make ourselves deaf to things we wish we hadn’t heard, or to facts that would force us to change our minds. Sometimes, people who are hard of hearing say, “I’m not missing much anyway!” Others say they prefer not to watch the news or read the papers because they are sick of corruption, disasters, and wars. Tuning all that out might make life more comfortable, sure. But it also makes life more closed off and a little less human. We make ourselves deaf, blind, and mute to things that are easier to hide or ignore.
But Jesus’ Ephphatha does something else. Along with the grace of listening and the treasure of God’s wisdom, it brings a challenge: it forces us to hear the call to change our lives and to take action against evil. And let’s be honest: that isn’t comfortable at all.
Jesus often tried to keep things quiet—what scholars call the “Messianic Secret”—telling those He healed not to say a word. But there are always witnesses. And the person who was healed? They usually leave shouting and praising God. It is impossible to stay silent once you have truly heard Him. As the people said in the Gospel: “He has done all things well.”
Cármen Fernández Aguinaco
ST. SCHOLASTICA, Virgin, Religious
Memorial - February 10
Not much is known about St Scholastica, the sister of the great St. Benedict, in whose shadow she lived. Dedicating her virginity to God, she first lived a life of prayer at home, then stayed near her brother at Subiaco, then Monte Cassino, until Benedict put her in charge of a community of women.
We know from history how Benedictine monasteries of men and women not only radiated peace, but were in many regions the civilizers and the main witnesses to Christ’s presence in the world.
Opening Prayer God our Father,
we thank you for saints
like St. Scholastica;
they remind us that a life
of prayer and community
bears witness to your presence in this world.
Make us too see clearly
that it is ultimately you who count
and you who are the meaning of our lives
and that the bond that unites us
with people anywhere
is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel Introduction
A sign that Jesus is the Promised Savior is that he first goes to the poor, the sick, the marginalized people, for they need him most. Not only material poverty is meant. The deaf and the mute, the hard of hearing and the stammerers are we who are shut up within ourselves, often closed to God and to one another. Jesus comes to open our ears and mouths to the words and deeds of God, that we may listen to his message and respond to his love, and that we may also hear those who are poor and speak to them. Note that this miracle too happens in pagan territory. Let Jesus in the Eucharist heal us and commit us to God and people.
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
by the signs of food and drink
your Son Jesus gives himself to us
and gathers us together as a community
of love and service.
Make the communities
of religious men and women
a sign for all to see
that you want us to be one
as the people you have liberated
and bound to you in a covenant
through the death and risen life
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
we give you thanks for this eucharist
and for all the good done
in the Church and for the world
by religious men and women.
Let them be living witnesses
that the gospel is worth living for.
Through the body and blood of your Son
strengthen them to be to everyone
worshippers in spirit and in truth
who, on account of you,
are concerned about people
with Jesus Christ our Lord.
