Wednesday of 1st week, even numbered year
“On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew.Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed and feverish, and at once they told him about her. He went in to her, and took her by the hand and helped her up.And the fever left her and she began to serve them.”
We contemplate Jesus in his daily life.He went to the synagogue and is invited into Simon and Andrew’s home, the home of the two brothers he had called at the lake-side. They introduce Simon’s mother-in-law to Jesus, she is sick. He draws near to her, takes hold of her hand, gets her to stand up very delicately. Jesus being there, her fever leaves her. God’s tenderness is felt near to us. Jesus’ ’day ’ shows God’s tenderness of God in his actions and in his being. In being close to Jesus, we are close to one another in God’s Love.
In the first reading, this tenderness of God is manifested to the young Samuel by the voice of the priest Elie. At the call of Samuel, it is he that the young Samuel will go and see for he is with him, at the servcie of God. God calls the child three times. Eli understands. He said to Samuel : ’You shall say ’Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’ Samuel goes to lie down. ’The Lord drew near to him and called him like the other times : Samuel!’ Samuel replied : ’Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’
“That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils. The whole town came crowding round the door,and he cured many who were sick with diseases of one kind or another ; he also drove out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.”
When evening came, he healed each one like this woman who placed herself at his service. Jesus also puts himself at the service of all these peope who show their illnesses. Jesus is contagious giving psychic and spiritual health, this is why he can heal. Jesus doesn’t let the demons speak, for they ’know’ who he is, and their word and knowledge is a refusal. They possess knowledge but
they refuse, acting against, their knowledge is false. The true knowledge is a committment to live it.
Jesus begins a kingdom of Peace in which God’s Tenderness transpires. We need to take the time to contemplate this tenderness of God in order to dwell in it.Today the same Lord is calling, he passes through our hearts, our hands. All that we are shows this Love. Here there is a new light! Jesus who has life in Him prays His Father. He is always in link with his Father :’The Father and I,we are One’ he will say. Jesus encourages us to pray, our Christian life is a constant link with Jessu, one that is permanent. We come from Christ : ’For me, to live is Christ.’, said the apostle Saint Paul. It is so important to take time to pray in our life.
“The next morning , long before dawn, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely place to pray there. Simon and his companions set off in search of him and when they found him, they said ’Everbody is looking for you.’ He said ’Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can proclaim the message there too, because that is why I came.”
Jesus is in prayer and it is so good to contemplate Him praying. He takes times of solitude to open up this permanent space to His Father. As it was for Jesus, so it is for us.It is a vital necessity. Jesus widens up the space for us all : ’that is why I came., ’Lets us go elsewhere’ he says. Leaving Capharnaum, he is going to travel through Galilee, for the Word must be heard elsewhere too. Others must have an experience of the Tenderness of God. Jesus comes and delivers us by His Life, His Passion and Resurrection. He gives humanity back to the Father. Following Jesus, we bring to him at the end of our day all those we have met, all that weighs us down, our sufferings and our sicknesses. We bring them in Jesus’ Offering on the altar, in His Presence at each Eucharist. We also wish to be turned towards others so that they may have life in abundance. Jesus continues to save us, and he ends his work of healing, transformation of humanity,accomplishing the Will of the Father in the Holy Spirit.