Gospel (Lk 4:38-44)

Jesus arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they besought him for her. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them.

Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them; but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Commentary

Jesus enters Simon’s house. His mother-in-law is sick with a high fever and they beg Him to cure her. Jesus approaches the sick bed, takes her hand and looks at her with a loving smile. And that woman suddenly feels herself cured and gets up completely well. She thanks Jesus and begins to serve Him and his disciples with an eager joy.

We can think of some diseases our own soul may suffer from: laziness in serving others, pride and vanity, ambition and greed, frequent anger towards family members, or failures in purity and chastity. How greatly we too would like Jesus to take us by the hand, look at us with affection, and suddenly heal us!

An early saint advises us: “Let us receive Jesus, because when He visits us and we carry him in our minds and hearts, He extinguishes in us the ardor of the most consuming passions, and keeps us unharmed so that we can serve Him, that is, so that we may do what pleases Him.”^[1]

Receiving Jesus in our mind and heart: that is the secret. To receive Him in our mind is to think as He thinks. To receive Him in our heart is to love as He loves. How can we achieve this? By sincerely desiring this grace with our entire heart, and asking for the help of the Holy Spirit, trusting totally in Him.

There is a privileged moment when we can receive our Lord in our heart: when receiving the Eucharist. In Communion, Jesus comes to us with all his love and all his healing power. If we prepare our heart well, with the help of our Lady, and shun routine, we too will feel ourselves cured of our illnesses, madly in love with God, and we will be able to serve others with joy.

^[1] Saint Cyril, Hom. 28 in Mattheum.