Jesus continues to heal...be open to Him!
Jesus continues to heal...be open to Him!
Once I read a short story. One of my all-time favorite church magazine cartoons pictures a physician in his office, speaking with his bookkeeper. The subject of their conversation is a patient's bill, which apparently had been in the accounts receivable file for a long, long time. The bookkeeper says to the doctor, "He says that since you told him his recovery was a miracle, he sent his check to the church."
On the fifth Sunday of Ordinary time brings us a couple of points for our meditation: suffering, healing ministry, personal prayer, and intercessory prayer. The first reading from the book of Job, he laments his suffering. Job says, “Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?” When I lie down at night, I toss and turn - and wonder when morning will come. But when I get up, I am tired, and I ask how long until I can get back to bed! There is no explanation of why the innocent Job had to suffer so terribly, other than that God had permitted Satan to test his commitment, fidelity, and trust in God, even under extreme pressure. When you read this passage, do you feel the pain of Job. If not, we need to sit with someone depressed, with chronic illness, or even people with a migraine. We don’t have to say anything, just listen to their pain. Then read this passage or the entire book of Job and feel the intensity of Job’s suffering.
Today’s gospel, whole army of Job, people who are suffering came to Jesus for healing. Why did they come to Jesus? They recognized Jesus as Job recognized God in the midst of his suffering. The Gospel describes Jesus’ healing ministry in which he heals many forms of suffering Job laments. As soon as Jesus entered the house, they told him about Simon’s mother-in-law who received healing, and at once she got up and served. Something beautiful we see here, ‘the whole city was gathered at her door’ (1:33). Her doors were open for everyone. Do you think if it was today we would see something different? I am sure the whole city or even neighboring cities might be there.
Jesus’ healing always involved the restoration of integral life: body mind and soul. His proclamation of the kingdom itself healed the mind of the people. Whenever he healed the sick, he restored the body as well as the soul. When he drives out demons, he restored the soul as well as the body. Jesus listens to the cry of the needy: everyone at the door.
Healing also takes place through listening. We hear a lot about synod on synodality. Listening is the core of the synodality. To listen we need an open mind, otherwise we hear what we want to hear. We need to open our mind to listen to others, then we can see the fruit of synodality which is unity, healing, and renewal of faith.
The Gospel specifically says that Jesus “took her by the hand, lifted her up, and the fever left her.” If we read the following passage, Jesus uses his healing touch to heal the leper. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. Jesus continues his healing ministry through us. Especially through the sacraments: Sacrament of Reconciliation and Anointing. In the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, the Bishop and Priest touch the sick to anoint.
February 3rd is the feast of St. Blaise. He is the patron saint of illness of the throat and other illnesses. The story that he healed the boy with a fishbone stuck in his throat, was a physician and miraculously healed many others of their ailment. We have the tradition of blessing of the throat and asking the intercession of St. Blaise.
Another aspect of healing is prayer and intercessory prayer. As soon as Jesus entered the house of Simon, they told him about the sickness of his mother-in-law. Also in the Gospel, we see Jesus himself went out early in the morning to pray. We need to set aside time to pray. Also, we need to set aside time to pray for others. Also, we ask saints to pray for us. In a special way this weekend, we ask the intercession of St. Blaise.
The most powerful prayer is the Eucharist. The entire heavenly Jerusalem joins with us. Let us bring all of us, our loved ones, all those who around us at this weekend Eucharist and ask God love and mercy – his healing. Also, let us become an instrument of God’s mercy and love for others – his healing touch.