Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
A Day in the Life of Jesus
“Everyone is looking for you.” Have you ever heard that? Everyone needed you at once! Jesus heard these same words and quickly left to go to another village, not to escape, but so that he could preach there also. Access! Who had access to Jesus? And how did Jesus manage the multiple pleadings to both hear the message and to heal by actions? He prayed, he acted, he sought solitude and prayer. And he repeated again. His whole life’s ministry was about preaching, restoration of dignity, and healing that prompted a response of service to others. Simon’s mother-in-law is an example. When Jesus “grasped her hand, and helped her up,” the fever left her and she waited on them. Healing was followed by service.
Healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds was Jesus’ mission on earth. Happiness, acceptance, inclusion—healings of all sort—not just for the one being healed, but also for those who witness the healing. Jesus’ followers came to understand the pattern of always moving on, being itinerant, interrupted only by periods of prayer and solitude. Jesus is a great example of work-life balance.
Today we reflect on the various kinds of healing needed in our world—healing from sexual abuse, healing from the death by suicide of a family member or friend, healing of any kind of abuse or lack of nutrition, housing and poverty, healing from racial injustice, the healing of the earth, the healing of political tensions, healing from the effects of war! The list is long! How do we learn what it means to be a healer and how to be healed? Who are the healers in our lives today? What kind of healing am I asking for as I reflect on this week’s Gospel?
And when I experience healing, whose hand will I grasp? Who will I help to get up?
P.S. I often have conversations with people who come to talk about death by suicide. Fr. Ron Rolheiser is someone who has helped me to understand and then to help others. I hope this writing helps you as well. Here it is:
https://liturgy.slu.edu/5OrdB020721/reflections_rolheiser.html