Wednesday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Colossians 1:1-8 & Luke 4: 38 – 44
Reflection Date: September 1, 2021
Interestingly, today's Gospel passage contains three sections or three incidents, of which two are based on healing/curing: Healing of the mother-in-law of Simon, curing people with various diseases, and the itinerant missionary activities of Jesus.
All the Gospels narrate the various miracles of healing that Jesus carried out in His life on earth. At first, a new reader may subtly look at those miracles. But then, the miracles of Jesus should be interpreted from the liberating dimension of the Kingdom of God and not as an attention-seeking device of Jesus. For Jesus truly came to seek the lost, be with those on the margins of the society. Moreover, through these miracles, Jesus manifests Himself as the Lord of nature and life. He reveals Himself as the conqueror of all evil forces and death.
In our modern times, as in the time of the historical Jesus, the healing miracles continue to occur even today. Nobody is excluded from the brotherly/paternal care and cure of Jesus, and no force on earth is beyond His power. We need to continuously seek His healing touch as a remedy for all our ills.
Moreover, the scripture text says that "Jesus laid His hands on each of them and cured them." Jesus has the power to heal people from a distance. He does this with the centurion's servant in Capernaum (Luke 7: 1 – 10). He also does it with the ten lepers who beg to be cured (Luke 17: 11 – 19).
But here Jesus reveals a facet of His healing. His healing is meant to be a revelation not only of the power but also of the compassion of God. When Jesus heals, He wants people to feel the touch of God's love and compassion. Thus, He lays His hand on each of the sick people brought to Him.
Jesus does not look upon you and me as simply part of an anonymous mass. You are someone whom He wants to touch personally. He died and rose again for you. As Paul puts it, "I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given Himself up for me (Galatians 2: 20)."
And so, by deepening our faith in Him, let us create the most suitable atmosphere so that Jesus can work wonders in and through us.
Joseph Cardozo SJ | Contributor
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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