By Pravin S. csc
Readings: Col 1: 1-8; Lk 4:38-44
The liturgy of today reminds us that Jesus is a powerful healer. One of his important ministries was to heal the sick. The gospel tells us that Simon Peter humbly asked Jesus to heal his mother-in-law who was down with fever, and many were healed later. If Peter had not asked Jesus to heal his mother-in-law, what would have happened? Of course, she would have continued to have fever.
Jesus respected Simon’s humble prayer and petition. This healing event in Jesus’s life invites us to go to him with faith and trust. Let us remember the words of Jesus “Come to me those who are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Mt 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
This is what Jesus calls us to do when we need his healing in our lives. In order to experience this healing, we need to pray to Jesus for the healing of others, especially for those who are close to us. Many are in need of enlightenment and healing from Jesus. Let us not take the power of our prayer for granted. When we have faith in God, we invite Jesus into our lives, and he would surely heal us.
St. Paul too preached the same message of faith in Christ who is the resurrection and life. St. Paul’s mission included Jesus’s ministry of healing. He offered hope and faith to the Colossians and invited them to believe that the word of truth had come to the whole world and particularly, to the Colossians. Let us pray to our Lord that he may bring the same healing power to all of us especially for our families and friends.