And when he had gone out of the region of Tyre, he went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the midst of the region of the Decapolis, again. 

And they brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking, and they begged him that he might lay hands on him. 

And when he had taken him privately away from the crowd, he put his fingers in his ears, and after having spat, touched his tongue.

And when he had looked up into heaven, he groaned and said to him: ‘Ephaphtha’ (that is ‘Be opened.’)

And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. 

And he ordered them not to say anything. But as much as he ordered them, so much more they proclaimed. And they were completely amazed saying ‘ He has done everything well, and he made the deaf hear, and the mute able to talk. ‘

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.