15 January 2025 - Wednesday of the 1st odd-numbered week
Homily
In Mark's Gospel, Jesus returns to Galilee immediately after His baptism, His forty days in the desert and the selection of His disciples. Monday's Gospel told us about the selection of the disciples.
Mark then tells us about a series of events in quick succession during the same day - what we might be tempted to call, to use a modern expression: ‘A day in the life of Jesus of Nazareth’. Twenty-four hours well spent. On the morning of the Sabbath, He taught in the synagogue in Capernaum and healed a man possessed. That was yesterday's Gospel. Then He went to the house of Simon and Andrew and healed Simon's mother-in-law. In the evening, many sick people were brought to Him to be healed. Then, during the night, He went up the mountain to pray. The disciples went looking for Him, but He told them He had to go (no longer to Capernaum, but to the neighbouring villages). That really is a lot for twenty-four hours. Let's try to perceive and receive some of the teachings that Mark wants to pass on, or rather the teachings of Jesus to His first disciples.
Simon Peter's mother-in-law was suffering from a fever, which at the time was seen as a form of possession. In fact, the Greek word for fever comes from the same root as the words ‘fire’ and ‘zeal’. We can see in this an allusion to the ardent zeal of the prophet Elijah, the prophet of fire (Sir. 48, 1-3.9; 1 King 19, 10.14), who destroyed the 450 prophets of Baal with his own hand, and to the zeal of the disciples of Jesus who, one day, wanted to bring down fire from heaven on those who had not received Jesus' message. Jesus wants to show His disciples that this fever, this destructive fury, must be foreign to those who want to follow Him. This fury must give way to a spirit of service. And, in fact, Simon's mother-in-law, once cured of her fever, began to serve them.
In our personal relationships, as well as in relationships between religious denominations or nations, any eagerness to condemn others, to impose our points of view on them, to rain down (morally or physically) fire from heaven on them, is contrary to the message of Jesus. Jesus chose the path of service, humility and prayer. While his early ministry in the synagogue of the important town of Capernaum had been a great success, He left this public place to retire to the private home of one of His disciples. And when the healings He performed in that house made Him even more popular, He left that place to take refuge in solitary prayer, before leaving for the humble villages of the region.
We too, following the example of Jesus, must choose the path of service to our sisters and brothers. Let us also choose the path of prayer in solitude to discover God's will for us.
Today we remember Saints Maur and Placide, disciples of Saint Benedict.
Armand Veilleux