Wednesday of 1st Week in Ordinary Time
Hear God and Answer
Today’s first reading tells us the beautiful story of Samuel’s vocation. He is the man attentive to the signs of God’s presence, hearing the inaudible, seeing the invisible, where others do not hear or see anything. He is in contact with God, like also Jesus withdrawing in a lonely place to pray. We hear God best when all is silent in us.
The Gospel shows this compassion of Jesus to those afflicted with all sorts of ills and the brokenhearted. He is committed against death and misery. Isn’t it that this is the mission he entrusts also to us today?
First Reading: 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20
The boy Samuel was serving Godunder Eli’s direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen. One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad—he could hardly see). It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of God, where the Chest of God rested.
4-5 Then God called out, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Yes? I’m here.” Then he ran to Eli saying, “I heard you call. Here I am.”
Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” And so he did.
6-7 God called again, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel got up and went to Eli, “I heard you call. Here I am.”
Again Eli said, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” (This all happened before Samuel knew God for himself. It was before the revelation of God had been given to him personally.)
8-9 God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.”
That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’” Samuel returned to his bed.
10 Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”
Samuel grew up. God was with him, and Samuel’s prophetic record was flawless. Everyone in Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, recognized that Samuel was the real thing—a true prophet of God. God continued to show up at Shiloh, revealed through his word to Samuel at Shiloh.
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew’s house, accompanied by James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them.
That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door! He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn’t let them say a word.
While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, “Everybody’s looking for you.”
Jesus said, “Let’s go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I’ve come.” He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons.
Prayer
Lord, our God and Father,
you call us to listen
to the word of love and mission
which you speak to us in this Eucharist.
Make us receptive to your word
and let it stir our hearts.
Attune us also to your voice
speaking in people and events.
And make us also attentive to your silence.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Reflection:
The House of Peter needs healing
Today’s Gospel passage presents Jesus’ healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and then of many other sick and suffering people who gather round him. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law is the first physical healing recounted by Mark: the woman is in bed with a fever. Father Armellini gives a beautiful explanation for this act of healing performed by Jesus.
The Gospel begins by telling us that Jesus went into the House of Peter. He was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum during the day and then he walked into the house of Peter. While writing his Gospel as a catechetical material for the people preparing for the sacrament of Baptism in Rome, Evangelist Mark intends to tell his listeners about the preaching and healing mission that they too have to carry out.
Jesus brings the Good News to his people and walks into the House of Peter. Here, the House of Peter is the Church. There he finds the woman of the house sick. She is down with a fever that prevents her from getting out of the bed. This woman is an image of each of us, the faithful of the Church. At times, we get infected with fevers of our ego and selfishness. It keeps us bound to the bed and we refuse to get up and serve our brethren around us. Jesus picked her up by hand and she was cured. Her immediate response was to get up and serve them.
If the Church has to carry on the mission of healing, first, it has to treat its own fevers that prevent the Church from being at the service of one another. When we ourselves are sick, we cannot bring healing to others. First, Jesus brings healing to his own household – the Church. By evening, the whole village gathers around the House of Peter – the Church and Jesus brings healing to all the sick. The whole world stands in need of healing and the role and mission of the Church is to carry on the healing mission of Jesus.
Taking care of the sick is not an “optional activity” for the Church. And this mission is to bring God’s tenderness to a suffering humanity. A Successful day at work doesn’t stop Jesus from moving on to new places and people. While the whole village was in search of him, Jesus finds time for his prayer and demonstrates that we have to move on. People are still going to be in need. How often do we object to transfers from our places of work or Mission. We feel that we have a lot more to do there and the people there need us. But, today’s gospel demonstrates so clearly that the world doesn’t revolve around ME Or YOU. We need to move on, bringing the healing and comforting message of Jesus.
Video available on Youtube: The House of Peter needs healing