THE WORD
Heb 2, 14-18 / Mk 1,29-39
In leaving the synagogue [Jesus] entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
IN OTHER WORDS
I was second year high school then when I had dengue. I got scared for my life because I thought no one would recover from dengue. I stayed in the hospital for three weeks where I learned not to give up hoping for a better day without tubes attached to my body. But most of all, seeing that my mother was praying the rosary all the time, I learned to have faith.
The Gospel for today tells us how Jesus healed numerous individuals who were sick. Illness is a human experience which makes the individual realize that he/she is not super human. Upon this realization, he/she begins to acknowledge being like one of those ill persons in the Gospel who longed to be cured.
Wanting to be cured from an illness be it physiological, psychological or spiritual — is one of the most common prayer in the world today. Faith has always been the fundamental element in the process of healing. If the individual in the first place does not have any faith in the doctor or does not believe that medications can/will cure, he/ she will not go to the doctor nor take the medication.
When we are ill, having faith in Jesus will make us courageous. Faith will make us strong enough to hope for things to be better. We may find ourselves on the verge Of giving up but even the slightest act of faith will make us realize that we are not alone in our suffering. It's this little act of faith which makes us believe that Christ, who is beyond all suffering, will cure us in the end.
The Word in other words 2017
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
