A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (4:38-44)
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, “To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent.”
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Reflection: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s Gospel we witness the quiet, intimate power of Jesus’ early ministry. He steps into the ordinary home of Simon Peter, and encounters a common human, suffering with a severe fever. What follows, is a beautiful pattern for our own spiritual lives; “He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.”
But the most important detail is, what happens the exact moment the fever left her. Simon’s mother-in-law does not stay lying in bed to recover. She does not complain about her lost time. None of that! The Gospel tells us, she immediately got up and waited on them.
This is how grace works. We are not saved or healed merely for our own comfort. Jesus heals us, so that we can love. He frees us, from the “fevers” of our lives—whether that fever is anger, anxiety, lust, or pride, or other sinful things—so that we can stand up and serve others, the body of Christ.
Notice, also, how Jesus heals the crowds later on that day. He does not wave His hand over the multitude, to heal them all at once, together. The Gospel says; “He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.” This is how the Lord comes to us today. He meets us individually in the confessional. He comes to us personally, in the Holy Eucharist. He knows our specific wounds, and He touches them, with sacramental grace.
Lastly, the Gospel tells us that after all this healing, at daybreak, Jesus departed to a deserted place. My thinking is, that He went there to have a quiet, silent prayer, with the Father. If the son of man, did this with the father, how much more, do we need silence in our noisy world? Our service to others will quickly dry up, into burnout and resentment, if it is not constantly fueled by personal prayer. Afterall, it is in the quiet of the desert, that we find the strength to sustain or work, in His mission.
Action for the day: Brothers and sisters, reflect on today’s Gospel, and Jesus as the Divine Physician, who heals both physical illness and spiritual oppression. Then, in your quite sacred space, bring your hidden fevers to Jesus today. Allow Him to touch you, heal you, and restore you. And when He does, consider in ways you can serve in your home, your parish, and your community, as Simon’s mother-in-law did.
Audio Reflection:
Thank you. God bless.