Healing the fevers of life

 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 74

Il-Hames Hadd taz-Zmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

Reading 1        Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Job spoke, saying: Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages.So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope.Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again. This is the Word of the Lord.

QARI I      Qari mill-Ktieb ta’ Gob 7, 1-4.6-7 
Gob tkellem u qal: “Hajjet il-bniedem mhix forsi xoghol bilfors fuq l-art? U ghomru mhux bhal jiem il-haddiem mikri? Bhalma lsir jixxennaq ghad-dell, u bhalma l-mikri jistenna l-hlas, hekk xhur fiergha kienu sehmi, u ljieli dwejjaq messew lili. Jekk nimtedd, nghid: ‘Meta se nqum?’. u meta nqum, nghid: ‘Meta se jidlam?’. u hekk nixba’ nhewden sa ma jidlam. Ehfef minn mekkuk ghaddew jiemi, u bla tama ntemmu. Ftakar li hajti buffura rih, u ghajnejja ma jergghux jaraw ir-rizq”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

 Responsorial Psalm               PSALM 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.

 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted. 

SALM RESPONSORJALI              Salm 146 (147), 1-2.3-4.5-6

 Fahhru l-Mulej, ghax tajjeb li tghanni lil Alla taghna;
ghax helu u xieraq it-tifhir tieghu.
Jibni ’l Gerusalemm il-Mulej,
jigma’ l-imxerrdin ta’ Izrael. 
R/.: Fahhru l-Mulej, li jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma

Hu jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma,
hu jorbot il-?rie?i tag?hom.
Hu jg?odd in-numru tal-kwiekeb;
kollha jsej?ilhom b’isimhom.
R/.: Fahhru l-Mulej, li jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma

Kbir Sidna l-Mulej, u ta’ qawwa kbira;
bla tarf id-dehen tieghu.
Jerfa’ l-imsejknin il-Mulej,
u jnizzel sal-art il-hziena. 
R/.: Fahhru l-Mulej, li jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma

Reading 2             1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters: If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, or an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it. This is the Word of the Lord.

QARI II       Qari mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 9: 16-19.22-23

Huti, jekk jiena nxandar l-Evangelju ma ghandix biex niftahar; jien obbligat naghmlu dan. Hazin ghalija jekk ma nxandarx l-Evangelju! Jekk dan naghmlu minn rajja, ikolli dritt ghall-hlas; imma jekk naghmlu ghax obbligat, dan ifisser li qieghed naghmel ix-xoghol li Alla fdali f’idejja. X’inhu mela l-hlas tieghi? Li meta nxandar l-Evangelju, inxandru b’xejn, bla ma nfittex id-dritt li jaghtini l-Evangelju stess. Ghax ghad li ma jiena marbut ma’ hadd, jien ghamilt lili nnifsi lsir ta’ kulhadd biex nirbah lil hafna. Sirt dghajjef mad-dghajfin, biex nirbah id-dghajfin. Sirt kollox ma’ kulhadd, biex insalva lil kulhadd. Naghmel dan kollu minhabba l-Evanhelju biex ikolli sehem minnu.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel        Mark 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue  Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you."He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come. "So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee. This is the Word of the Lord.

EVANGELJU      Qari mill-Evangelju skont San Mark 1, 29-39

 F’dak iz-zmien, Gesù u d-dixxipli hargu mis-sinagoga u baqghu sejrin ma’ Gakbu u Gwanni ghand Xmun u Indrì. Issa omm il-mara ta’ Xmun kienet fis-sodda bid-deni, u malajr qalulu biha. Resaq lejha, qabadha minn idha u qajjimha. U d-deni hallieha, u bdiet isservihom.  Filghaxija, imbaghad, fi nzul ix-xemx, hadulu quddiemu lil dawk kollha li kienu morda jew li kienu mahkuma mix-xitan. U quddiem il-bieb ingabret il-belt bi hgarha. U fejjaq hafna morda minn kull xorta ta’ mard, u hareg ghadd kbir ta’ xjaten li hu ma kienx ihallihom jitkellmu, ghax huma kienu jafu min kien. L-ghada filghodu kmieni, qabel ma zernaq, qam, hareg u mar f’post imwarrab u qaghad hemm jitlob. Xmun u shabu l-ohrajn marru jfittxuh. Kif sabuh, qalulu: “Kulhadd jistaqsi ghalik”. U qalilhom: “Ejjew immorru band’ohra, fl-irhula tal-qrib, halli nippriedka hemmhekk ukoll, ghax ghalhekk hrigt”. U dar il-Galilija kollha, jippriedka fis-sinagogi taghhom u johrog ix-xjaten. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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  Healing the Fevers of Life

Commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The centerpiece of the stone ruins of the village of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee's northwest shore is the black octagonal Church of the Panis Vitae (Bread of Life), built directly above what is believed to be Simon Peter's house, the setting for today's Gospel story [Mark 1:29-39]. One of my mentors and teachers, the late Passionist Father Carroll Stuhlmueller, once told me that the real centerpiece of Capernaum should be a huge memorial statue dedicated to the mothers-in-law of the world!

Try for a moment just to imagine the setting of this day in the life of Jesus. The newly constituted group of disciples who had left their nets, boats, hired servants, and even their father, to follow the Lord [1:16-20] are delighted in his presence. Jesus' words and actions completely overpower evil. His personality is so compelling and attractive. Leaving the synagogue where an evil spirit has been overcome, Jesus and his disciples walk only a few feet before encountering further evils of human sickness, prejudice and taboo. We read: "The whole city gathered together about the door" [1:33-34]. What a commotion!

In Mark's Gospel, the very first healing by Jesus involves a woman. He approaches Simon's mother-in-law as she lay in bed with fever. He takes her by the hand and raises her to health [1:31]. Such actions were unacceptable for any man -- let alone someone who claimed to be a religious figure or leader. Not only does he touch the sick woman, but also he then allows her to serve him and his disciples. Because of the strict laws of ritual purity at that time, Jesus broke this taboo by taking her by the hand, raising her to health, and allowing her to serve him at table.

Peter's mother-in-law's response to the healing of Jesus is the discipleship of lowly service, a model to which Jesus will repeatedly invite his followers to embrace throughout the Gospel and which he models through his own life. Some will say that the purpose of today's Gospel story is to remind us that this woman's place is in the home. That is not the purpose of the story. The mother-in-law's action is in sharp contrast to that of her son-in-law, Simon, who calls to Jesus' attention the crowd that is clamoring for more healings [1:37] but does nothing, himself, about them.

In Mark's Gospel stories of the poor widow [12:41-44], the woman with the ointment [14:3-9], the women at the cross [15:40-41], and the women at the tomb [16:1], women represent the correct response to Jesus' invitation to discipleship. They stand in sharp contrast to the great insensitivity and misunderstanding of the male disciples. The presence of Jesus brings wholeness, holiness and dignity to women. How often do our hurtful, human customs prevent people from truly experiencing wholeness, holiness and dignity?

Job's test  - Our test?

In the Old Testament reading from Job [7:1-7], Job doesn’t know it yet, but he is part of a “test” designed between Satan and God. Prior to next Sunday’s verses, Job has endured immense suffering and loss. He knows that the shallow theological explanations of his friends are not God’s ways; but still, he is at a loss to understand his own suffering. Job complains of hard labor, sleepless nights, a dreadful disease and the brevity of his hopeless life. For Job, all of life is a terrible fever! How often do we experience “Job” moments in our own life as our fevers burn away?

The healing of Simon's mother-in-law proclaims Jesus' power to heal all sorts of fevers. Around the year 400 A.D., St. Jerome preached on today's Gospel text in Bethlehem: "O that he would come to our house and enter and heal the fever of our sins by his command. For each and every one of us suffers from fever. When I grow angry, I am feverish. So many vices, so many fevers. But let us ask the apostles to call upon Jesus to come to us and touch our hand, for if he touches our hand, at once the fever flees" ["Corpus Christianorum," LXXVIII 468].

With Jesus, healing of mind and body becomes a clear sign that the Kingdom of God is already present. Jesus' healing Word of power reaches the whole person: it heals the body and even more important, it restores those who suffer to a healthy relationship with God and with the community.

May we pray with confidence the words of Cardinal John Henry Newman’s Sermon on Wisdom and Innocence: "May he support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last."

Finally, it is important to recognize what Jesus did after he healed the woman in Sunday’s story. He took time away to strengthen himself through prayer. Do we do the same in the midst of our busy worlds in which we live, in the midst of the burning fevers of life and the burdens of our daily work?

May these first moments of Jesus' ministry in Mark’s Gospel teach us to recognize the goodness which God brings into our lives, but also that this goodness is not ours to horde for ourselves. The healing power of Jesus is still effective today -- reaching out to us to heal us and restore us to life.

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