February 08, 2015
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Job 7:1-4, 6-7
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 9:16–19, 22–23
Gospel: Mk 1:29–39
As soon as Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew with James and John. As Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever, they immediately told him about her. Jesus went to her and taking her by the hand, raised her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening at sundown, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had evil spirits: the whole town was pressing around the door. Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and drove out many demons; but he did not let them speak, for they knew who he was.
Very early in the morning, before daylight, Jesus went off to a lonely place where he prayed. Simon and the others went out, too, searching for him; and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Let’s go to the nearby villages so that I may preach there too; for that is why I came.”
So Jesus set out to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee; he also cast out demons.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Jesus took Peter’s mother-in-law by the hand and helped her up. These are acts of a servant taking care of a sick master. In healing her, Jesus assumed the position of a servant – an unmistakable act of love that healed her completely. The completeness of the healing was evident when she served them immediately after the healing. When Jesus heals, he does not only drive sickness away but also restores in the person the energy to serve.
Today Jesus continues to assume the position of servant in order to heal all kinds of sicknesses. His problem however is our refusal to do our fair share of the healing process. If our sickness is “symptom” of sinfulness (John 5:14), our task is to repent. If an “indication” of demonic possession (Lk. 13:11) our duty is to deepen prayer life. If our illness is a form of “chastisement” from a Father who loves us (Hebrews 12:6), our obligation is to submit ourselves to the Father’s disciplining hand. If what we suffer is “karma” understood as the natural outcome of our past wrong doing, we should change our ways and return to the Lord.
Without doing our share, God will leave us where we are, owing to his great respect for human freedom. But when we do our fair share God will be happy to restore us to perfect health, strong enough to resume serving the community, like what Peter’s mother-in-law did. — Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya? I-type ang BANDERA REACT
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Bandera. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.