LUKE 4:38-44 FROM BEING HEALED TO BECOMING A WITNESS

Year A – Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel, Jesus enters Simon's house and heals his mother-in-law from her fever. Immediately after being healed, she gets up and begins to serve Jesus and the others. That little detail is beautiful: she receives healing, and her response is service. Jesus does not heal us simply so that we can feel better; He heals and restores us so that our lives can become a gift to others.

All of us carry wounds that need the healing touch of Christ. Some are physical, some emotional, some spiritual, and some are wounds that nobody else knows about. And when we experience God's healing, forgiveness, or mercy, there is always a temptation to keep it for ourselves. But the Gospel asks something more of us. The forgiveness we receive should make us more forgiving; the compassion we experience should make us more compassionate; and the love we receive from Christ should make us more willing to love and serve others. Grace received is grace meant to be shared.

Perhaps today's Gospel invites us to ask ourselves: What am I doing with the healing and blessings God has given me? Am I simply grateful that God has helped me, or am I allowing His grace to make me more available to others? Jesus continues to pass through our homes, our families, and our lives, bringing healing and renewal. May we not only ask Him to bless us, but also ask Him to show us whom we can bless today. Like Simon's mother-in-law, may our encounter with Jesus move us from being recipients of His grace to joyful witnesses of His love.

With Love and Prayers

Your Co-Traveler