Cedric Pisegna - He Touched Me (01/22/2026)
Father Cedric shares the Gospel story from Mark 7 where Jesus heals a deaf and mute man by touching his ears and tongue, saying «Ephphatha—Be opened!» He emphasizes that God’s touch comes in many forms—dramatic manifestations or ordinary ways through creation, people, Scripture, and the Cross—to inspire, heal, and save souls. The core message is that Jesus desires to touch us deeply, transforming lives and bringing eternal salvation, while we can touch Him through faith and prayer.
Welcome and Introduction
Welcome to «Live with Passion». I’m Father Cedric Pisegna. So glad that you’re tuning into the program. My programs are all about touching lives and saving souls. And I pray that I’ll inspire you and encourage you and lift you up, touch your life as you watch this program. Wanted to proclaim to you the Gospel of Mark chapter 7, «They brought to Jesus a man who was deaf, had an impediment in his speech. They besought him to lay his hand upon him. Taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers in his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. And, looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, 'Ephphatha! ' that is, 'Be opened! ' And his ears were opened, his tongue was released and he spoke plainly».
The Song «He Touched Me»
The Bill Gaither trio are gospel singers, and one time Bill Gaither was at a service, and God was moving, touching people. Music was good, the preaching was good, and Bill was touched by the whole service. And, afterwards, he was talking to his friend, and he said, «Wow, that was really powerful. I was so glad that I was there. God was really moving». And his friend told him, he said, «Bill, you ought to write a song, and you ought to call it, 'He Touched Me.'» And Bill got to work, and he wrote the song, and it’s a classic now, «He Touched Me, » and some of the verses, some of the words are, «Shackled by a heavy burden 'neath a load of guilt and shame. Then the hand of Jesus touched me, and I’m no longer the same. He touched me, oh, he touched me, and, oh, the joy that floods my soul. He touched me and made me whole».
Wow, love that. That is my hope and my prayer for those of you, my viewers, who watch «Live with Passion, » that, most of all, your souls will be saved. My motto is touching lives and saving souls. But, along with saving souls, my hope is that you will be touched, inspired, encouraged, lifted up by this program and by all of the episodes. Thank you to my donors. Thank you to those who are my partners. Thank you to those who buy my resources because you’re helping me to touch countless lives through «Live with Passion».
The Power of Inspired Services
I’ve been to many religious services in my life, I’m a Catholic priest, been ordained for 33 years at this filming, been a religious for 40 years. I’ve been to countless services, and I love when I go, and I hear the Word preached, and it touches and inspires and lifts you up, and the music can be awesome.
It can usher you right into the presence of God. And I love it when people give service and do well at such services. And I hate it when it’s dead religion. I get angry because people are worthy of so much more than dead religion, I think that turns people off. We’re losing our young people because of it. And what we need are services and programs and gospel outreaches that are touching lives and saving souls. And I pray that, as you watch this, your life will be touched, your soul will be lifted up. Now, the touch of God comes in many different forms. Most of all, what happens is, when you’re touched, you’re inspired, you’re given passion, you seek God in a better way. But, most of all, I’m praying that God will touch you to receive eternal life. Saving souls, I want you to live forever, that’s what the gospel is all about, touching lives and saving souls.
Personal Experiences of God’s Touch
I remember one time I went to a service, and I started shaking, and I thought to myself, «It’s not cold in here. Why am I shaking»? It was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Usually what I get is the glory and the goosebumps and the ecstasy of God, but I was getting that shaking, and I’m thinking to myself, «Is God calling me to be a shaker or Quaker? I don’t think so».
But, anyway, it can be dramatic, and we all want the dramatic. And I’m praying that the anointing, the power of God, will flow right into your home right now, wherever you’re watching me or listening by radio, you will sense the anointing that is on this ministry, touching you, breathing upon you, giving you eternal life, bringing you healing in your body if you need it.
Jesus' Ministry of Touch
Jesus was always touching people in the gospels. We heard about this deaf and mute man. Jesus touched his ears, touched his tongue, and he could speak and hear. Another time, he touched a leper. Another time, the children came to him, and he laid hands on the children. All kinds of times, Jesus was touching people, that’s his MO.
Jesus continues to touch people 2,000 years later, raising people up, giving people new life, rebirth, filling them with the Holy Spirit.
The Importance of Touch
Touch is such an important sense. We all have five senses, as you know, hearing and seeing and smelling and tasting and touch. We have touch pads on our computer, our iPhone, you just touch it, and things happen. If you were to have an infrared camera, I think you’d see a glow around my hand right now. There’s some kind of a radiance that comes from touch. Touch is a very important sense, there’s actually a Touch Institute in Miami. And it’s important that we have that sense of touch because I heard about a man who lost his feeling, his touch in his whole arm, and he had to be very careful because he could injure his arm and he wouldn’t even know it because he lost the sense of touch. Touch warns us at times, touch is an important sense, it warns us of danger.
But, at this Touch Institute in Miami, they study touch as a therapy. We all know about therapy dogs that come, and you pet them, and they help you to relax. And I like kitty cats, you pet them, and they purr and calms you down. Jesus used this mode of touch as a way to reach out. And right now I’m doing that through television and radio, through my voice, through the visuals, trying to touch you. I get comments a lot of time about our visuals, about, we call it B-roll or supplementary media, I call it a Zen moment. We have pauses, we show scenes, this is all to augment my preaching so that you will be touched and inspired, and I hope you enjoy the work that we put into that to help touch your life.
We shake hands as a means of connecting with each other, we’re touching each other. The sign of peace at a Catholic mass, could be a hug. I have a donor that sends donations every month and, whenever they send the donation, they say, «This is our monthly hug». Thank you for the hug every month. You’re touching me, appreciate that. I remember, when I was ordained a priest, the sacrament of holy orders, part of the right is called the laying on of hands. The bishops (or, the bishop) performing the ordination will lay hands upon you, and the apostolic succession, the anointing of ministry, the priesthood is mediated through touch.
Remember what Paul told Timothy? He said, «Fan into flame the gift of God that has been mediated through the laying on of hands». Touch is so crucial. I’m praying that you are gonna be touched right now, that God is moving right now, touching you. Whatever difficulty you may be going through, whatever stress, give it to God right now. That’s what this program is all about, touching your life, raising you up, inspiring you, encouraging you, saving your soul.
Michelangelo and Touching God
Michelangelo, the great artist in the Catholic tradition, painted many frescoes and sculpted different statues. He depicted creation, get this, with a touch. You’ve all seen the Sistine chapel ceiling, God reaching out to Adam, Adam reaching out to God, that touch right in the middle.
And that’s one of the threads that I wanna really make clear to you when it comes to touch. God wants to touch us, but we can touch God, too. And Adam was reaching out to God. It’s really important to understand that we can touch God. For example, when we pray and intercede for others, we are petitioning God, and we can touch God’s heart and actually change God’s mind. Remember Abraham in the Old Testament, Sodom and Gomorrah? Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, and he touched God’s heart and changed God’s mind. As we stand in the gap and pray for people, we can touch God’s heart.
The Centurion and the Woman with Faith
And then a centurion one time came forward, and he came up to Jesus, and he said that his servant was ill and in bed and sick and dying. Jesus said, «Okay, I’ll go and heal him». And he said, «No, I’m not even worthy that you should enter under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed».
By the way, if you’re Catholic, you recognize those words, those are the words that we proclaim right before we receive communion. «I’m not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed». Why are we doing that? Because we’re expressing our faith in the body and blood of Christ to bring us healing, that it’s the real actual body and blood of Christ. And that faith of the centurion so amazed Jesus, he said, «I haven’t found faith like this in Israel. Many will come from the east and the west and sit at table with Abraham and the prophets, and the first will be last, and the last will be first».
Amaze Jesus with your faith, have a faith that impresses him, reach out to him through faith. I’m talking about how God touches us, but we can touch God. We can touch God with our prayers, we can touch God with our faith. One time, Jesus was walking, there’s a big crowd around him, and all of a sudden he stopped, and he said, «Who touched me»? And Peter said, «Master, there’s people all around you. Everybody’s touching you». He said, «No, no, no. Somebody touched me with faith». And he perceived that power came out of him, and he looked around, and there was a woman sheepishly there who told him, «It was I who touched you». And he said, «Woman, go, your faith has saved you».
It’s interesting that it was her faith that drew power from Jesus, and she was touched, and Jesus was touched through faith.
Faith in the Sacraments
Have confidence that Jesus is who he says he is, the Son of God. Have confidence that he looks at your life, and he’s there for you. And have confidence that he loves you. And reach out and touch him. In fact, in the Catholic catechism, they’re divided into four sections. The second section is the section on sacraments, and they have a fresco from the third or fourth century depicting this scene of this woman reaching out to Jesus and touching his garment. Now, why would they be using that scene for sacraments? Because what the Catholic church is telling us in the catechism is, in order to receive a sacrament, it’s not just a passive thing, it’s an active reception.
You receive communion, or you receive reconciliation or confirmation, yes. But, when you receive it in faith, «only say the word and my soul shall be healed», when you receive it in faith, that activates the power, that touches the heart of God. And that’s why that scene is depicted in the catechism about what a sacrament is, a sacrament is a reception of the grace of God, but it’s also a receiving of the grace of God through faith. May God touch your soul through this program and stir up your faith within. Touch Jesus by your prayers, touch Jesus by your faith. Don’t just go to mass, or just don’t go to services. Go expecting, go believing, amaze God by your faith.
Your faith to God is something that’s very valuable, and, so, God is hoping that you won’t need all these signs and wonders in order for you to have faith. Remember what Jesus said to Thomas after the resurrection, he said, «Thomas, you believe because you’ve seen me. But blessed are those who believe without seeing». I think sometimes that it’s a person who hasn’t been touched dramatically that has more faith than a person that has been touched dramatically. Don’t get me wrong on that, but I think you know what I’m saying here.
Ordinary Ways God Touches Us
And the bottom line is, is that sometimes God touches us dramatically, and sometimes God just touches us ordinarily through ordinary circumstances.
And let me try to break that open to you. But the bottom line is, is that God does touch us, you just have to receive it in faith. I think about the human body, I talked about that in one of my other episodes. But I was thinking today, as I ate breakfast and ate lunch, and I take some medication for cholesterol and some vitamins and different things. And I just kind of take the pills and put them down there with all the… how does the stomach know? The enzymes and all the the other fluids that flow in your stomach, and somehow the stomach sorts it all out to go to the right places. Some of it is digested, and others of it passes through you and comes out. The body is a miracle, and God touches us, simply, if you just look at your own body. Study the brain sometime, study the brain, it’s amazing.
And then look at the systems that we have. We have eight major systems in our body: the nervous system, skeletal system, muscular system, digestive, reproductive, circulatory, respiratory, endocrine systems, they all work together, and we don’t even think about it. Can you be that jaded that you don’t realize what a gift, what a miracle we are? I talked about that in one of my other episodes, that God touches us through this. If we can have the faith to see… Open my eyes, Lord, open my ears, that I may hear, that I might see.
That’s exactly what the miracle was that I read to you. Jesus came up and touched the man’s ears so that he could hear. He touched his tongue so that he could praise God. It’s through touch that you see, you hear, you speak in manners that are worthy of your life. And then, of course, God touches us through creation: the Grand Canyon and sunrises, sunsets, eclipses, James Webb telescope, seeing all these stars and galaxies out there, the whole universe. It says in the Bible that «God speaks without even saying a word». Can you hear him? God touches us through our environment, through all the animals, through the beauty of nature, gardens and birds, shows us the wisdom of God, the variety.
God Touches Through People and Relationships
And then what about people? Your friends. Jesus talked about, «I no longer call you slaves, but I call you friend».
You can get to know who Jesus is through friends. Jesus comes to us through intimacy of others and conversations and fellowship and communion with others. And I think about my parents, my mother showed me the unconditional love. I was her only son, I was the third of three children, her only son. And, even though I did things wrong, she still loved me. I was her little boy, I was her baby. And that mediated to me the love of God, God touched me through my mother. And then my dad taught me about trust. He said, «Cedric, you can always trust me, » and he never ever betrayed my trust. And that showed me that God is trustworthy. What am I saying? I’m saying that God touches us in ordinary ways, through people, through creation, through our own body. We just have to have the eyes to see.
See, I’m praying that the miracle that happened to that man in the gospel will happen to you right now, that Jesus will touch your eyes, he’ll touch your ears, he’ll touch your tongue that you may proclaim his praises.
The Glory in Creation and Art
Gerard Manley Hopkins said, «The whole world is charged with the glory of God. It flames shining from a shook foil. It gathers to greatness like the ooze of oil». Then, of course, God touches us through soul singers, if you’ve ever heard beautiful songs. Remember what I said, at some of the services I’ve been to, ushers us right into the presence of God. Artists, authors, read a good book, listen to good preaching, hopefully you’re hearing some here. Doctors and nurses, those in the military, policemen, firemen, fire women, police women.
And then the Bible, the Scriptures, I majored in Scripture in the seminary because I was touched when I was a young man, I came to Matthew 7:7. Nineteen years old, I didn’t know anything about the Bible. Come to Matthew 7:7, «Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks, it will be opened». And it was like, «I felt that, » and it changed my life, it touched me. God touches us through the scriptures. I call it an ordinary means. It’s not this, all of a sudden the supernatural manifestation of a shaking or ecstasy, but it’s still supernatural. We’ve got to go beyond the superficial to the supernatural.
God works through ordinary means, and God works through extraordinary means, too: healing, ministers, music, preaching, the Bible, so many different ways. The whole world is charged with the glory of God, just have to have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.
The Touch of the Cross
And, as a Passionist… Passionist, I’m a Passionate religious, I have professed a vow to meditate upon the passion of Christ because his cross, the crucifixion, melts my heart, it touches me. Even the most hardened sinner realizes that Jesus went to that cross, and he suffered an abominable death for you and me. Everybody realizes that, and we have been baptized into a story. The story is Jesus dying on that cross, and, as you look at a cross, it captivates us, and captures our heart, and brings us into communion with Christ. All you have to do is simply look, meditate.
Paul of the Cross, who founded the religious community that I belong to, the Passionists, he said, «People are looking for a miracle. The cross is the miracle of miracles. It’s the most overwhelming work of God’s love. Everything can be found in the passion, everything: forgiveness, mercy, salvation». You want to be touched? Spend a little time with a crucifix. He’ll speak to you, he won’t condemn you. Remember what he said? «Son of man didn’t come to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son».
The cross is the power of God and the wisdom of God. The sufferings of Jesus show us how much God loves us. I said in another episode that, at my funeral, I want that song, «How Great Thou Art, » sung? Well, there’s another song that I want sung at my funeral also. It was composed by George Bernard in 1912, and it’s called, «The Old Rugged Cross». «On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged Cross till my trophies at last I lie down. I’ll cling to the old rugged Cross and exchange it one day for a crown». Wow, okay, what have I said? God wants to touch us, touching lives, saving souls, and he does that through music, through preaching, through religious services, through the Holy Spirit. And he does it in extraordinary ways, in ordinary ways, through creation, through people, through reading books, through reading the Bible, through gazing upon a crucifix. And I’m praying, as you’ve watched this program, God is lifting you up, he’s touching your soul, and I pray that you will never ever be the same. He touched me, he touched me, and, oh, the joy that floods my soul. And may Almighty God touch you, raise you up… and don’t just live, «Live with Passion».