Miss Not the Opportunity for Healing

There are numerous opportunities for healing and divine encounter around us, yet few notice. It’s this reality in our spiritual life that I address in today’s reflection, drawing inspiration from the life of Christ.

The Lord’s Humanness

One of the things that fascinates me about the life of Christ as documented in the Bible is his humanness. The apostles didn’t paint a picture of Jesus as a superstar or a mystic. They reported what they witnessed. Scripture presents Jesus as a person who lives a normal life.

Some people call the Lord Jesus names because he eats and drinks like a typical Jew. Many of the professional prophets or seers of the time wore the makeup of esoteric mannerism, perhaps to be seen as “God sent.” The Lord does not need any makeup. Unlike us, he does not need to cover the wrinkles of age or so-called imperfections of the body. He is as good as it gets and as seen. Real.

He has family and close friends like all of us do. His life is a typical everyday life, the kind you would find with regular people on the street, in our neighborhoods and villages. He chooses to be like us in all things except sin, as The Letter to the Hebrews tells us.

Maybe, that is why the apostles and disciples couldn’t realize his divinity until after the Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. His humanness is evident, and his humanity is normal, too ordinary to be true of God. Yet, it is perfect humanity as God wills it. He is the man— “Ecce Homo.”

Opportunity in Ordinary Settings

In the Gospel of Luke 4:37-39, we read the famous story of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law by Jesus. Jesus pays a visit to Peter’s home. Peter’s mother-in-law is sick. This is an actual, typical scenario. Sickness, pain, and suffering are part of human frailties. Our spouse, children, parents, grandparents, and friends have a fair share of those. We may, too, have them.

Observe the role the people in the house play. Despite the casual, typical setting (Jesus is simply stopping by), they know not to miss any opportunity for healing. They capitalize on a subtle moment. They have proper discernment not to miss a moment of grace. Discernment is vital—a topic for another day. Do you recognize when the Lord stops by?

Just as Saint Jose Maria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, says, “Jesus is passing by every day.” He passes by our homes, our workplace, our dinner table. He passes by the fields and the gym, etc. Be aware that the Lord is here. Do not miss the opportunity of grace and miracles.

Those in Peter’s house do not miss the opportunity. Instead, they ask, beg, or intercede for healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. The Lord Jesus, our healer, responds, as he always does to

those who ask. “Ask and you will receive” (Matthew 7:7). He heals the woman. She resumes her duties—service.

Often, because the God-encounter with us (whether in our everyday life, during fellowship, at prayer, and more importantly at the Eucharist) is very ordinary, we seem not to realize that Jesus is here. He is with us. He heals our fever and diseases.

Through the intercession of the Church around us, the fever of life that cripples us could be healed. Nonetheless, we need to notice. We need one another to intercede for the healing.

Opportunity for Healing

Do you know what the fever is? In addition to a medical situation, the saints saw an allegorical significance of the fever to the fever of lust, pride, greed, envy and ego. Saint Jerome called it “sinful passions.” The Lord Jesus heals them.

“Our fever is passion, our fever is lust, our fever is anger—vices which, although they affect the body, perturb the soul, the mind and the feelings” (Saint Ambrose, Exportio Evangelii).

I pray Lord Jesus to visit us today, healing the fever crippling our love and commitment to service. Amen. We also pray for the healing of the sick. Amen.

God love you. God bless you.

[Readings: Col 1:1-8; Luke 4:38-44]