“I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom,” Saint Paul says to the Corinthian community in this Sunday’s second reading. Patients who are “locked-in,” left wordless because of complete paralysis, have new hope thanks to a novel procedure in which an international team of scientists has communicated with completely locked-in patients using a noninvasive brain-computer interface system.

“Although locked-in syndrome sounds horrific, many locked-in people are reasonably content with life. They can still listen to music, watch television, see and listen to their loved ones.”

The average life expectancy of a person with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is two to five years from time of diagnosis. With recent advances in research and improved medical care, many patients are living longer, more productive lives.