Hidden Behind Healing
Homily on Wednesday, 22nd Week in OT, 3 Sept 2025, DBPH Chapel Talamban
Several days ago when I was in Lawaan to celebrate Mass for two different occasions I was glad to see two of our elderly Salesian Cooperators attending the Mass. I remember having administered to them the sacrament of the anointing of the sick separately more than ten years ago because they were seriously ill. One of them was Mommy Elsa, the Mother of Br Ed, and the other was Mommy Luz. I even thought that Mommy Luz, who was at that time in extreme pain due to colon cancer, might not make it anymore. But by God’s grace they have survived the trials and until now continue to serve among us as Salesian Cooperators, singing the same words, which we used in the Psalm today “I trust in the mercy of God forever.”
In today’ gospel we see Jesus working out a very surprising miracle in Capernaum, the cure of Simon’s mother-in-law who had been sick with a severe fever. Jesus must have known all the while that his disciple’s mother-in-law was seriously ill. And so upon entering the room, he approached her, grasped her hand, and helped her get up from the bed. Amazingly she was healed instantly and started preparing some food for her healer and honored guest.
And then when people heard what happened, they started bringing to Jesus all the sick including those possessed by demons. And amazingly they too received God’s healing grace.
We have just begun reading from Luke’s Gospel. And we wonder where Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, must have gotten his power to teach and to heal effectively. The last part of the today’s narrative reveals his secret. Jesus left the crowd and withdrew to a deserted place to pray.
Today the Lukan Jesus is inviting us to continue following him in order to learn from him the proper way of doing ministry. By his example he is teaching us the prime importance of prayer, of listening reflectively to his Word and of contemplating it ourselves before sharing it with others. We believe and are convinced that only in this way can we truly become effective in our ministry and abundantly fruitful in the Lord’s vineyard. GiGsss!
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