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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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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There’s an old saying, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.”
We might say by extension, “Show me your schedule and I’ll tell you what your priorities are.”
So, how do you spend your day?
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In the first chapter of his Gospel, Mark gives us a day in the life of Jesus.
Last Sunday, we heard the account of Jesus performing his first public miracle, casting an unclean spirit out of a man in the synagogue. We might’ve wondered why a man with an unclean spirit was present in a sacred place.
But in healing this man, Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of God begins to grow in people like him; people who, though imperfect, believe that God has the power to act in their lives.
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Immediately after leaving the synagogue, Jesus enters the house of Simon Peter.
Here – inside people’s homes – Jesus performs many of his miracles, serving as a reminder that, like church, homes are sacred places.
There’s something sacred about seeing your siblings, spouse, parents, and children gathered around the dinner table, or even sitting together on the couch watching Netflix.
Time spent as a family is never time wasted.
Jesus himself spent ninety percent of his life at home, only spending his final three years in ministry.
Perhaps this is why he chose to perform his second miracle inside a home, to remind us that homes are like a domestic church.
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Inside Simon Peter’s home, his mother-in-law is deathly ill. So, Jesus goes to her, touches her hand, and “raises” her up.
This same verb “to raise up,” will later be used to describe Jesus’ own resurrection, a reminder that Jesus hasn’t come simply to cast out fevers; he’s come to open the gates to eternal life.
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The fact that Jesus touches this woman’s hand also reminds us of the healing nature of human touch.
Throughout his ministry, Jesus heals people by touching them.
He touches a blind man’s eyes and the rotting skin of a leper; he puts his finger into a deaf man’s ear and places his hand on the coffin of a widow’s son, bringing him back to life.
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So far, we’ve seen Jesus in the synagogue and in Simon Peter’s home.
Wrapping up this account, we find Jesus in one final spot – a deserted place before dawn, where he’s gone off to pray.
Although he’s spoken with authority, cast out an unclean spirit, and healed a woman who was deathly ill, we now find Jesus in the early hours of the morning acting like any ordinary person, seeking guidance from his Father.
Christ, the King of the Universe, is no different from us in that regard; he, too, needed time to pray, to rest, to recuperate.
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Prayer is essential to sustaining our spiritual lives.
And Jesus shows us that often we must do it before our day begins. Otherwise, our time is consumed by the commitments, stress, and anxiety of daily life.
I wonder how much time do we spend in prayer like Jesus? Do we rise before dawn? Find time late at night? Or do we miss it all together?
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Consider the fruit of Christ’s prayer.
After performing amazing deeds in Simon Peter’s hometown, Jesus chooses to move on. Surely, he was tempted to stay. People loved him!
As the Gospel tells us, the disciples literally “hunted” for him while he was off praying.
But that’s all Jesus was meant to do – plant a seed of hope in the hearts of those he healed.
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Sometimes that’s all we can do with our day – and even our lives – plant a seed.
Parents plant seeds in the hearts of their children; they instruct them, nurture them, and shower them with love.
But eventually, they must let them go – off to college, off to get married, off to start a life of their own.
Friends and relatives plant seeds in the hearts of loved ones – speaking words of affirmation, offering advice, a shoulder to cry on, or a much needed hug.
Priests plant seeds of hope in the lives of their parishioners but aren’t always privileged to see the fruit.
In the coming months, I hope we all strive to plant seeds of faith, inviting people back to gathering as a community for Mass. That’s all we can do, invite them; God will watch over the growth.
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“Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.”
By extension, “Show me your schedule and I’ll tell you what your priorities are.”
May our priorities be like Jesus’, who spent time at home; in the synagogue; in prayer; and planting seeds in the hearts of others.
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