From the responsorial psalm: “Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield, For in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 4:38-44)
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Luke describes a day in the life of Jesus as he heals and preaches, curing people who are sick with various diseases and proclaiming the message of the kingdom of God. Simon’s mother-in-law suffers from a severe fever. Jesus rebukes the fever, and she rises to serve Jesus and the disciples. Demonstrating authority over illness, Jesus shows compassion for those in need closest to him. Following this, as the sun sets, people bring to Jesus all who are sick or possessed by demons, and he lays hands on them, bringing immediate healing. The gathering of people shows the growing recognition Jesus received for his ability to heal people. The passage concludes as Jesus leaves at daybreak, telling the people that he must go to other towns to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God.
Father in heaven, thank you for sending your Son to heal and to teach. In the Gospel, he reveals the relationship he has with you. It is one of obedience to your will and dedication to the mission for which you sent him. People approached him constantly, from dawn to dusk. In the midst of the day, help me remember to pause and reflect on the times I have seen him pass by in the many opportunities you present to me. Help me also hear and do your will, bringing glad tidings to those who most need that and to proclaim liberty to captives through the saving work of your Son.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.