First Reading - 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Gospel - Luke 4:38-44
In the first reading, we come across a problem that was faced by the community in Corinth; the dispute of allegiance. Some took pride of being baptized and taught by Paul and others by Apollo. However, perceiving a wrangle and division erupting among the members, Paul stresses that what matters is that we all should pay allegiance to God rather than persons. The Christians should take pride in receiving faith in Jesus rather than take pride in persons who guided to faith. Paul invites the Christians to mature in their faith see God as the first option for the reason of pride.
Today’s Gospel tells us that preaching the Good News of God’s love, mercy and salvation, and healing the sick were the means Jesus used to build up the Kingdom of God. By preaching and healing, Jesus drew listeners to belief in a loving and providing God and to loving obedience to His will. We are told that Jesus drew renewed spiritual strength from God, His Father, every day by talking with and listening to Him, often in a desolate place at night.
Jesus was never tired of healing the sick, thus demonstrating the mercy and compassion of His Heavenly Father to every sick person who approached with trusting Faith. Having finished the day’s preaching in the synagogue on one Sabbath, Jesus went to Simon’s home and healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever. In the evening, when the Sabbath rest was over, people brought all their sick dear ones to Jesus for healing and exorcism. Jesus either concluded the day or, here, began the new day, by spending time with the Father in prayer in a lonely place.
Dear friends, we are called to continue Jesus’ preaching mission primarily by bearing witness to Christ through our day-to-day lives, radiating Christ’s mercy, love, forgiveness and spirit of humble service to all around us.
We can participate in Jesus’ healing mission by praying for the sick and by visiting, helping, and encouraging the sick and shut-ins. We, too, need to remember what Paul says in the first reading that we should give allegiance to God; whatever we do or achieve in our works of preaching, teaching, and healing, through them we should lead people to God. This is also to say that in and through our works good news is to be proclaimed or Christ is to be proclaimed. However, to do this, we need to be God-focused people. This requires from us that our spiritual batteries should be recharged by prayer every day, as Jesus did.
May God enlighten us to discover what way we can participate in the three-fold missions of Christ.
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