Sung "Here I am Lord. Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me. I
will hold your people in my heart." [1]
In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus touches her and she is immediately
healed. What does she do? She waits on them.
The Greek word is diakonia. More accurately it means “service”
or “minister”. There is a big difference
between waiting and serving/ministering. Some jokingly say, Jesus healed her because he
and the apostles needed someone to fix their dinner. This raises the question: What is more important—what we are healed from
or what are we healed for?
I would contend it’s “what we are healed for.”
How does God intend to use our healing to help us to better serve
or minister to his people?
I had a conversation with my sister, as we sat in ICU where
her husband laid in an induced coma, asking when we pray for healing, what does
that look like or mean for people of faith?
Sometimes healing may not the best for us. A blind priest, who was a wonderful confessor
and counselor, was once asked if he prayed to have his sight restored. He answered no. He said that, while it would be wonderful to
see again, he felt that sight would be a distraction in his ministry. He had an inner vision that was a greater gift
for his service to God and others.
Have you been praying for healing: physical, mental, or
relational? What would you do if you
were healed? How would your life change?
How would your relationships change? How would it help you to serve God better?
Both St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis of Assisi grew
closer to God and had life directives when they were recovering. Once healed, they served the Church in mighty
ways. Some writers did their best work because
illness kept them homebound.[2]
God continues to call each of us, even in the challenge of
our illness or difficult situation. Will
we respond as the psalmist, Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.
[1] “Here I Am, Lord” by Dan
Schutte © 1981.
[2] WeekDay HomilyHelps, Homily
Suggestion by Mary Lynne Rapien.
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